I Will Believe
by weixuan18
Summary: Trained by Kyuubi, seven year old Naruto already knows of his 'fate'. Which is why he vows to change it and use the power he gains to protect his precious people. Watch the birth of the new Shinku Arashi. [SakuNaruIno] [NaruSaku] [NaruIno] Enjoy!
1. Life

_**A/N: After many encouragements from my readers, I've decided to start this fic. I understand that some of you new readers may not be used to my style of writing, but I'll tell you first, that I'm detest idiotic scenes during serious occasions and rarely ever use any of those unless I have to. **_

_**This story details of how Naruto perseveres through his life, overcoming obstacles and gaining power as he moves along. I honestly and sincerely hope that you guys will be able to enjoy it as much as I do. **__**He will not be ultra powerful, but definitely more sensible and somewhat stronger than the manga. This fic goes under Romance/Angst, with action as a third genre. I usually add Humour as well, so I might put that as fourth. Meh. **_

_**Pairing is SakuNaruIno. **_

_**Well, without further adieu, enjoy.**_

**_Latest A/N: Gave this a one over. Got way too many people nagging at me. Anyway, overall feel should be more smooth now, instead of slightly jarring. _**

**_Disclaimer: Apart from my computer and softwares and games and stuff, I don't own anything else actually, so yeah, I'm like five hundred light-years away from owning Naruto. _**

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 1: Life

I want to run.

_GET THE DEMON! DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE!_

I want to hide.

_HE'S RIGHT OVER THERE! CORNER HIM!_

I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside.

_ALRIGHT! WE'VE GOT HIM NOW!_

I want to reach out, and touch the flame.

_**Oi kit, you're gonna die if this keeps up. **_

_KILL HIM! KILL THE DEMON!_

_Blue eyes brightened with intensity, glaring at all those who dared come near him. His muscles tensing, his whole body filled with chakra, rage was clearly felt throughout the street._

I want to feel, sunlight on my face.

_Yet, why? The mob were confused. Why was the face filled with sorrow?_

I watched the dust cloud disappear, without a trace...

_Some in the crowd left, apparently overwhelmed by the pain emitted from the boy, and guilt filled their hearts, making them reconsider their opinions and thoughts…_

I want to take shelter, from the poison rain…

_But the rest of them, consumed by hatred and anger, attacked me. _

_**Kit…**_

It's October the tenth, my birthday…

_Kicks and punches rained down on the poor kid, villagers beating him from all directions, some even used iron pipes and the chuunins involved had gone as far as using brass knuckles…_

_**You bastards! Kit! Hang in there!**_

Why? Why is this happening to me?

_YOU DON'T DESERVE TO LIVE YOU FILTH!_

Just because the Kyuubi is sealed within me?

_YOU'RE A DEMON!_

Or just because the whole village is too ignorant to look past the basics?

_DIE!_

I'm just a kid, a seven year old kid…

_Some of the mob had turned their attention to the kid's apartment and began to vandalize it, destroy it…_

_**And they dare call me a demon? Foolish mortals! **_

Should I feel sad? Should I feel hatred? Should I feel anger?

_They had broken into his house, and began smashing up the interior…_

Yes... I should, but I won't. I will not give up…

_All of a sudden, gasps were heard and in front of them, stood a livid old man, wearing a hat with the kanji 'shadow' on it. _

I will believe, in those that are precious to me, to save me, and accept me…

_Hokage-sama! We're just…_

_SILENCE! You, you, how could you? How could you do this to a mere boy! HOW COULD YOU?!_

I trust them, with all my heart…

_Look at him?! Is he the demon you are so afraid of? Is that the state of the almighty Kyuubi? LOOK AT HIM!_

I will overcome this…

_You insolent fools! Taking out your anger on a child and disrespecting the legacy of Yondaime! DESPICABLE!_

I will become Hokage, and protect everyone…

_Take them away, lock them up for a week, and send the chuunins to Ibiki for punishment. Strip them of their Shinobi titles. Now go! _

_Hai, Hokage-sama. _

Because I am Uzumaki Naruto…

_And that was the last thought that came to mind as the blond-haired boy fell into a blissful darkness. He felt calm, and peaceful, something he had not felt for a long time. He had decided, ever since the old man told him what Hokage stands for, he has vowed to work as hard as he could to protect the village……_

_This village…_

_Konohagakure! _

I will believe!

* * *

**_Scene change......_**

**Where am I? What...no...**

"_What, what did you say?" stammered the girl with pale blonde hair…_

"_I'm not your friend anymore. Goodbye…" _

_Her lips quivered and she rushed at him, grabbing his arm, "But why? Why won't you play with me anymore? Did I do anything? I'm sor…"_

"_No, you did nothing. Don't ask why. I just can't…"_

_**No… NO!**_

_The girl could do nothing as she watched her best friend dash away from her, running down the streets. She didn't understand why, and tears were flowing freely as she dropped onto the ground, on her knees and cried…_

_**NO! That's not what I wanted! NO! **_

"_Where are you going?" asked the pink haired girl, whom he had just saved._

"_I can't tell you, but just remember, always treasure your friends. Come on, there's a girl that really needs you!"_

_**Don't, please don't… Not again…**_

"_But, but what about you? I want to be friends with you!"_

_The boy merely shook his head sadly as he ran off once again, leaving the dumbfounded girl on her own, with another girl, who was playing with the slides all by herself…_

_**I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm SORRY!**_

"Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun! Are you alright?!"

A white ceiling came into view as his eyes flashed open, his breathing rough and his heart beating at a ridiculously quick pace as he took in his surroundings.

_So, I'm in the hospital again…_

He took in the worried face of the Hokage and the tense stances of the Anbu behind him and gave a genuine smile, before calming himself down.

"Oji-san, I'm fine."

Sandaime Hokage breathed a sigh of relief. Guilt and pain tore through his heart as he remembered the desperate cries of the boy, begging for forgiveness and yelling that he was sorry. _What kind of a Hokage am I if I cannot even protect him?_

Naruto examined himself and chuckled bitterly, "Well, looks like I'm back to normal. When can I be released?"

The old man sighed as he took another puff out of his pipe and replied, "You're free to go anytime you want, but given the state of your house…"

"I'm fine with it." Those words flew out of his mouth, causing shocked looks to be sent at him.

But he didn't care. He just wanted to be alone for now. The guilt was wrecking him, and he didn't want to worry the Hokage over trivial matters like this.

Sarutobi looked at him, before giving a slight nod, "Alright then. But Naruto-kun, please be careful. And also, could you drop by my office tomorrow, there is something I want to give you."

Naruto gave a slight grin, before edging himself off the bed, and as painful as it was, forced himself to limp back towards his house, or what's left of it.

The dog-masked Anbu made a motion to help him, but was stopped by the Hokage, "No. Leave him be."

"But Hokage-sama! The state he is in, surely he should stay…"

"I know, I know Kakashi. But what he needs right now, isn't rest. He wants to be alone, he needs time to think and forget…"

* * *

_**Half an hour later……**_

Naruto arrived in front of his apartment, ignoring the graffiti and the broken door. He made his way in and stared at the scene in front of him, before he made his way into the bedroom. Gently prying away the debris on the floor, he reached under his bed and pulled out a small box.

He bit his lips and slowly opened it, taking out a scarf and a fox plushy he got for his birthday last year. It was one of the best ones he had. He chuckled as he wrapped the scarf tenderly around the fox plushy, then, he carried it in his arms and sat on his bed. Tears were brimming in his eyes, yet it wasn't because of all that he had been through an hour ago. No, it was because he had broken a promise.

**Kit……**

Naruto gave a sigh, before placing the plushy down and got into his meditation position.

_Alright, I'm back fox, what do ya want?_

**Hmph, this is the tone I get after healing your injuries?**

_It was your fault that I'm even getting injuries in the first place._

**Tch, whatever. Look, I don't usually do this. But I want you to know… That I… Alright, I sympathize you…**

_Hm……_

**Just… Take it easy, kit. I mean... Never mind. Never was any good at this kind of stuff anyway…**

_Thanks fox. I really appreciate it. Well, I would be dead if it weren't for you…_

_**Now, as we agreed, you shall now be able to work on your chakra nature manipulation. But for now, just rest kit. Don't want you to overstress yourself. The old man must have something to give you. Might even be a good birthday present. Grrr… What the hell do I care?! I swear you've been rubbing off on me…**_

_Well, next time then. Bye…_

**Wait, kit. **

_Huh?_

**Happy seventh birthday.**

_... Thanks… Fox……_

And with that, Naruto left the cage and returned back to reality. He sighed as he got up, knowing that he was going to have to clean this all up. And just like before, he searched out a snapped broom and a dustpan, and began the tedious cleaning procedure.

_Welcome to my life..._

* * *

_**Yep, that's that. This is sort of prologue, giving you an idea of what's going on. Later on, Chapters will be longer. I hope I did okay. Kyuubi is neutral here, not too nice, not too evil……I hope. Anyways, review and tell me what you think. Thx guys! **_


	2. Surprise

_**A/N: Guys, thanks once again for reviewing. Boosts my morale loads! XD**_

_**Anyways, last chapter was indeed a bit sad, but hey, where's the fun if all he does is be happy all day long? Naruto will get trained and become semi-powerful, not outrageous powerful. **_

_**This story, as said before is AU and definitely a bit OOC, but hey, don't like it, don't read it. Simple as that.**_

**_Latest A/N: Looked through it, corrected some mistakes, should be better now. Enjoy._**

**_Disclaimer: I sue you lawyers for suing me for owning Naruto! Why? Because I don't!!! That make sense? _**

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 2: Surprise

"_Help! Help! Anybody!"_

"_D-don't worry, I'm… Fine… Cough…"_

"_But, but you're, you're bleeding, and, and…"_

_He gave her a wide smile before slowly pushing himself up off the ground, "Really, I'm fine." He tried to make a pose but soon stopped due to the immense pain it was causing. _

"_Really?" Her beautiful cerulean eyes widened. _

_He chuckled and nodded, before asking her, "You alright then?"_

_She quickly nodded, but that worried expression just would not leave her face, "Mum says that injured people have to go to the hospital!" _

"_No, no! I'm, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about!" _

_He was caught by surprise when the girl hugged him tightly, shouting, "Don't lie! You're hurt! You're hurt!" _

Yeah… I guess… I am…

**BBBBBRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

His eyes flashed open, the loud noise echoing in his brain, scattering his thoughts as he was awakened abruptly by his stupid alarm clock. "Grr… If only I could get one that's less annoying…" He grumbled as he stopped it and stood up, thinking about his dream, or rather...

Never mind…

He sighed before remembering, O_h right, the old man wants me. Better hurry._

He took a quick shower, pulled on his clothes and made a dash for the Hokage Tower.

There they were again, those hateful glares, those disgusting leers. Naruto willed himself to run faster, closing his eyes as he rushed through the streets, not wanting his day ruined first thing in the morning.

* * *

_**At the Hokage Tower……**_

"Holy…" was all Naruto could manage as he saw the huge line outside the door of the Hokage's office. He slumped his shoulders, "Oh you've got to be kidding me." And he sighed as he accepted his fate and stepped behind the one hundred and fifty-first person and waited for the line to move on.

Yet, just then, his saviour appeared. It turned out to be the Hokage's secretary, "Ah! Naruto-kun! Hokage-sama is waiting for you. Come now, run along!" Her smile was genuine. Naruto loved this lady. She held no grudge against him whatsoever, seeing him for who he was, and treated him with respect even.

"Arigato, Izumi nee-chan!" and with his trademark grin, he accepted her hand and allowed her to lead him. He knew when not to act like a dumb idiot, now was definitely the time, especially when one hundred and fifty diplomats were eyeing you with jealousy and contempt for being in front of them when they had waited for two hours at least.

The door opened, and he immediately changed back to his usual vigour, just so that the Hokage didn't worry about him, "Ohayo! Ji-san! What do you want to see me for?"

The Hokage smiled warmly at the presence of this "blob of energy" as he would call him. He was afraid that the event before would have traumatized the boy. However, it seemed that he surprised him this time. _Indeed, there wasn't a time where I didn't get surprised by him…_

And with that thought in mind, he chuckled as he took off his hat.

Naruto returned it with a grin, because he felt more at ease, now that the old man stopped worrying._ He already had so much on his shoulders, he shouldn't have to worry about minor stuff like me… So, what's he up to?_

Sarutobi motioned for him to follow, and activated a seal on the wall. "Kai!" and with a poof, a door appeared, giving it access to Hokage's library of jutsus. Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of all those scrolls in front of him, rubbing his eyes repeatedly to tell himself that it was indeed the real deal.

He looked at the old man questioningly, wondering what the hell he was up to. Sarutobi merely smiled, before ruffling his hair, "Go on, pick one scroll from each section. Treat this as your birthday present. All the scrolls here are not forbidden, and though they are pretty much C-rank and above jutsus, I'm sure you'll have no problem learning them, with the help of…"

Naruto gaped, "R-r-really?! THREE SCROLLS?! ANY THREE?!"

Sarutobi laughed at the boy's enthusiasm, "Indeed, any three. But first, it can only be chosen by you, no help allowed from the fox. Treat this as a test. Are we clear Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded without hesitation, mentally reaching out to his tenant, _Oi, baka kitsune! You heard that right? _

_**Yes, yes, I heard him. Now shut up and let me sleep…**_

Naruto then grinned and gave a thumbs-up, signaling an 'okay' sign to the Hokage. He was literally giddy with excitement. _FINALLY! ONE ACTUAL TAIJUTSU KATA! AND NINJUTSU! OH YEAH! _

Sarutobi couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's excitement. _Just like his father, jumping at every opportunity to learn a jutsu…_

Naruto took a deep breath, before going over to the ninjutsu section, and peered over at the huge amount of scrolls laid in front of him. He had been taught by Inu-san before, on the basics of ninjutsu, and had since found out that he had more types of chakra affinities than anyone in Konoha! However, that makes things pretty complicated, yet useful at the same time. He remembered his words,

"_Now, Naruto, having all five affinities is something extremely rare. I had expected wind, however, lightning and fire were the ones where I thought you might get, whereas Earth and water were well, unexpected. But still, you have this rare ability to control chakra natures, thanks to a certain tenant of yours. The ability to mix the natures shall give you an advantage in the future. But for now, let's get on with the basics!"_

Naruto almost sweatdropped when he remembered what Inu-san had told him. God, he had spent an hour lecturing him on the basis of chakra and why it was so important. He was bored to death at the end of it and had never been so glad to get rid of the Anbu. However, he still learnt a fair lot. He had come to acknowledge the fact that lightning, water and earth were underlying affinities, that are 'hidden' in a way. Fire and wind basically were his primary elements.

He chose for awhile, before settling on a mid B-rank defensive wind jutsu, _Fuuton: Kaze no Fukumen (Wind element: Wind Veil)_. He noticed the amused glance in the Hokage's eyes as he chose that one, and knew he had made a logical choice. Hell, he should have. Since the age of five, Naruto had came into contact with Kyuubi, and had the shock of his life. His intellect and reflexes had increased drastically due to constant mind quarreling with the _stupid fox_, when the Kyuubi finally gave up in trying to act all nasty, seeing how this was going no where.

Naruto chuckled as he remembered the look on Kyuubi's face.

_**Think about it anymore and I won't give you one drop of my chakra when you need it. **_

_Ha! You have to give it to me, whether you like it or not! Seal…_

_**DAMN YOU! ARGH! ANNOYING BRAT!**_

_Meh, like tenant, like host._

_**WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?**_

_Yeah, yeah, just shut up._

_**I swear, one day, when I get out, you'll be the first to die!**_

_You mean it? _

…………………

_HA! I knew you didn't! _

_**WHY YOU!!!!!**_

Naruto snapped out of his conscious, and quickly rushed over to the genjutsu section, not wanting to waste more of the Hokage's time. This part was fairly simple; he already had in mind what jutsu he wanted. He picked up a low B-rank jutsu, _Ninpo: Akiraka Jiseki (Ninja arts: Clear Trace)._ Ho ho, just what he needed to help with his pranks.

This technique allows the user to completely masks once trace, as the name suggests. Technically, one becomes invisible, however, it can only be used for a short period of time, and though useful, one has to completely lower their chakra levels, making it quite troublesome to perform a jutsu straight after. This technique is mainly used for infiltration purposes.

_He he, infiltration indeed. Hope the Hyuga stuck-ups enjoy it. But better not push it, Hiashi-san seemed pretty angry after that last trick… Lucky he can't prove it was me. _

And finally, the long awaited section of Taijutsu. Interestingly, there were quite a number. However, Naruto instantly caught sight of a genjutsu placed in the area. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking over at the Hokage, seemingly asking him '_What the hell is going on?'_

Sarutobi smiled as he watch Naruto figure out his puzzle. He nodded and gave him the 'go-ahead' sign, wanting to see if he could dispel it.

Naruto focused, just like Inu-san instructed. _Concentrate, blow off the surrounding chakra layer quickly, in one swift motion… _

_NOW! _

"KAI!" and at once, the genjutsu faded, leaving the originally empty table with a huge scroll on it. He walked over to it and inspected the title, _Tai Chi Juusan Shiki (Tai Chi fist, Thirteen Styles)_.

He looked it over, the scroll seemed old. The faded ink marks on the sides showed that it was recently unsealed.

_**Kit, accept it. The old man actually allowed you to learn this style. Hmph, good decision. About time too. Can't stand the way those bullies see through your punches… Urgh…**_

Naruto ignored the snide remark and picked the scroll up, no longer hesitating and walked back into the Hokage's office. Sarutobi motioned for him to sit, and began, in a very serious tone, "Naruto-kun, do you know why I allowed you to pick three scrolls from this library of mine?"

Naruto scrunched up his face, trying to remember, but in the end, answered with a 'no'.

Sarutobi grinned, _just like him to forget all that he did for others…… _"Well, Naruto-kun. Hyuga Hiashi has not forgotten how you helped save his daughter."

At that, Naruto slapped his hand onto his head, _Of course! Hinata-chan! How can I forget?! _

_**Flashback……**_

_5-year old Naruto was taking a stroll in the forest on the west side of Konoha, trying to digest all those ramen he ate. He was happily enjoying Nature when suddenly, he saw a huge man carrying a small bundle. _

_He got curious and asked Kyuubi about it. Kyuubi immediately recognized the 'bundle' as a girl from the Hyuga clan. He then advised the kid to try and stall the man for time, whilst the actual Hyuga guards arrive. _

_Naruto didn't even think twice about it and charged at the man yelling, "Put her down! You, you thief!" Now that, coming from a five-year old was as bad a curse as it could get. The Kumo nin sneered at him and brushed him aside with a strong punch, or tried to. It had taken all of Naruto's chakra to stick himself onto the arm of the Kumo nin. As the nin look stupefied at his performance, he took the chance to use a chakra-enhanced punch and smashed it right into the cheek of the Kumo nin._

_Even though it didn't seem much, it had hurt like hell. Kyuubi had intentionally sent some of his chakra to amplify the power of the punch._

_Naruto quickly grabbed the girl from the Kumo nin's arms before he smashed into a tree. He tried desperately to wake her up, recognizing her as the girl that was so very shy, one of his first ever friends to be made at the playground. "Hinata-chan! Hinata-chan!" _

_In his anxious acts to wake up the poor girl, Naruto forgot one vital fact. The Kumo nin was still able to move…_

"_Raiton: Hibana! (Thunder Element: Spark)" Instantly, a huge blast of electricity blasted Naruto off the ground, launching him into the air. Luckily, his reflexes allowed him to push Hinata out of the way in the nick of time. But then, he was in the air, totally defenseless. _

"_Hmph, teach you to mess with me brat! It's over! Raiton: Shougeki! (Thunder Element: Shock)" And once again, as that familiar feeling of paralysis filled his body, he gritted his teeth and willed the Kyuubi to heal his wounds, if only temporarily, and with some difficulty, he managed to land back onto the ground, though somewhat awkwardly. _

_He was panting and gasping for breath, yet he took out that kunai Hokage-sama had given to him as a present just a month ago. He held it in front of him, glaring intensely at the Kumo nin, as though daring him to take a step forward. _

_His gaze was filled with life and determination, that the Kumo nin stopped his onslaught. He knew those eyes. They looked so familiar. He began to tremble, "No way, no! He's, he's dead already! No way!" _

_Naruto had no idea what the heck he was talking about, but knew it was his chance. Desperately trying to remember the correct way of flinging a kunai, he took one quick step forward and placing all his remaining strength into that one throw and __**WHOOSH!**_

_The Kumo nin reacted just in time, however, the kunai still embedded itself in his right shoulder, causing an angry scream to be emitted from him. His temporary fear seemed to disappear and he roared, "You'll pay for that!"_

_Naruto held out his arms, standing protectively in front of Hinata as he watched the Kumo nin charge at him, full speed. He closed his eyes, as though waiting for the inevitable, when suddenly, a loud scream of pain was heard and a 'thump' followed. _

_Naruto slowly opened his eyes, only to find a beautiful woman with long blue hair and pale eyes without pupils staring at him in concern. He could handle it no longer. _

_He fainted…_

_**Flashback end……**_

Naruto scratched his head as he chuckled lightly, clearly embarrassed at his defeat. The Hokage watched on, amused, "Now, now, Naruto-kun, there is no need to be humble. As a five-year old, you held your own against a thirty-year old Kumo jounin for fifteen minutes. That's an honorable achievement. The Hyuga never forget, be it those that harm them, or those that help them. Till this date, Hyuga Hitomi still insists that you live with them."

Naruto immediately shook his head, his serious nature kicking in, "You know I can't ji-san. I'll just cause them more trouble. Hitomi-sama has been very kind to me over the past two years, and even before that, she helped me whenever she could."

Sarutobi nodded, "Good choice, even if I hate to admit it. It will indeed cause them problems with the council, and so, Hiashi-san thought up another way of repaying you. Look at that taijutsu scroll once more."

Naruto opened it slightly, reading the first few lines: _Tai Chi Juusan Shiki, combination of strength, speed, defense and fluidity. _

He raised an eyebrow, and looked at Sarutobi, expecting answers.

"Now, Naruto-kun. Hyuga Clan specializes in their taijutsu, Juken _(Gentle Fist)_. That style originated from the style you have in front of you. Tai Chi. However, it merely picked the 'soft' aspects of that style. As you know, the Hyuga clan deem themselves a smart clan, preferring technique over raw power, and therefore, refined several aspects of their chakra control, combined it with a part of Tai Chi, to form the Juken."

Naruto's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates after hearing that the scroll he had in front of him was even better than the Juken. "Now, Naruto-kun, this scroll is dedicated to you, and only you. You may teach others if you want, but only after you've completely mastered this style. Also, I'm expecting a couple of surprises from you. Don't let me down."

Naruto grinned and gave a bow, "Hai! Hokage-sama!" And was just about to go before the Hokage stopped him, "Oh dear, I am getting old. You'll need this jutsu to help you. It's an A-rank jutsu that's perfect for you."

Naruto opened it, "Huh? Kage Bunshin no jutsu? _(Shadow Clone technique)_"

"Indeed, now its uses are for me to know and you to find out. Get training young man. Hahaha." And with that, he dismissed the young blond and sighed as he realized that he had to now listen to one hundred and fifty (possibly more) arguments, treaties, suggestions blah blah blah……

* * *

_**With Naruto……**_

_Oi fox, which one should I study first?_

_**How would I know? I had no need for your petty jutsus! All I required was my chakra and my chakra natures. All shall burn before me!**_

_Whatever…_

_**Are you mocking me kit? Hmph, one day, I'll show you what I can do. Hn, maybe by destroying you…**_

_Alright, cool down. Jeez, just a remark. Now, which one should I begin with?_

_**Well…I reckon you should try the one that old senile just gave you. Sounds very useful. Try it. **_

Naruto gave an unconscious nod, before speeding over to his usual training ground, number 15. It was isolated, on the east side of the village, with hardly anyone going there, due to its lack of facilities. Yet, the vast amount of space was just what Naruto needed.

He placed the scroll down, and began studying over the first scroll…

_Kage Bunshin no jutsu, A-rank, offensive, requires maximum chakra and medium chakra control. Jounin class. Woah, old man must trust me to give me this one. But I reckon it's simple. Huh? ONE SEAL?! YES!!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE EASY!_

_**I doubt it kit, you couldn't even do a single bunshin…**_

_Pft, you just shut up and watch…_

Naruto quickly read over the instructions of how to direct his chakra flow and within five minutes, he had gotten an overall idea of it. He formed a cross mark with two fingers from each hand, focusing, directing all his chakra to that specific point, visualizing duplicates of himself, before shouting, "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

And as expected a huge cloud of smoke covered the area, just like what happened when he did the basic bunshin, yet last time, there were only sickly and frail visions of the clones…

This time…

"WOAH!!!"

_**I got to hand it to you, this jutsu is perfect for you…**_

Indeed it was, for standing in front of him, were two exact copies of …… well, _him!_

He stared at them. They stared back.

"So, you're… me?"

"No, that's my question!"

"Hell no! I'm the real one here!"

"Whatever! You're just a clone!"

"Hey, hey! I have feelings you know!"

"So? They don't last!"

"Oh, you're going down!"

"TRY IT!"

"YOU'RE ON!"

_**If there's one person on this planet that could have an argument with himself………that person would be my dumb vessel……surprising indeed……Uzumaki Naruto……**_

And so, a very ferocious spar ensued, and amidst the fighting and laughing and fun they Naruto was having, he couldn't help but thank whoever it was that helped him so. The tears that filled his eyes were actually due to happiness, even if it was due to sad memories...he had gained something precious once again...

_Thanks..._

_For letting me remember…_

_What it feels like..._

_To play with friends once again…_

* * *

_**Well, that's the end of chapter 2. The fact that Naruto gets so high level jutsus, is because as mentioned, he knows of Kyuubi, can use its chakra to a certain extent, has normal control due to Kyuubi suppressing his chakra. And please, even a grown up can be caught off-guard by a 5 year-old. Definitely. XD**_

**_Oh, and if you feel that Kyuubi's over friendly, don't go berserk. He's NEUTRAL. He needs to survive, and Naruto's a kid. He can't be bothered to go quarreling against a kid. Besides...nah, won't spoil it for you. Read on if you want to know why I made Kyuubi this way. There's reason later on. _**

_**Now, I hope it was satisfactory. However, the pairings thing. Love triangle or not. Decide. I for one, prefers no love triangle. Because I suddenly have the urge to go for Ino if that happens. The story is meant to be that way. But I can compromise. You guys decide. Either both girls or a love triangle. But first of all, review and give me your comments! **_


	3. Family

_**A/N: I'm back. I really need to thank the reviewers once more. Honestly. Woah. I have NEVER gotten 20 reviews that fast, EVA. And I don't want it to stop. I have to say, that I'm pleased with the fact that my story is keeping you guys satisfied. It means I'm not totally hopeless……I think. Erhem. **_

_**Anyways, pairings have been decided. No love triangle, just like I planned. Sweet SakuNaruIno. Now, I won't write SakuIno. NO. I don't write Yuri. Which is why I specified NaruSaku + NaruIno. The pairings won't play too much of a role in the coming chapters because…well, Naruto's growing up! XD**_

_**Now, after my crazy ranting, please enjoy Chp 3. **_

**_Disclaimer: Any lawyer that dares utter a single word about me owning Naruto, well……you guys decide something bad to happen to them…… _**

* * *

I Will Believe 

Chapter 3: Family

"_Hey…why are you alone?" The girl asked curiously as she watched the blond boy sighing on the swing all by himself. _

"_Huh? Oh, I uh…you see…I……" He looked at her, hesitating whether or not to tell her._

"_Well?" The girl smiled a little, putting on a gently expression as she waited patiently for him to answer._

"_I have no friends. No one likes me. That's why." He mumbled, not wanting her to see the pain behind his eyes. He quickly faked a grin, "But don't worry, I'm alright……" _

_The girl pouted and placed her hands on her hip, "But you're not!" _

_The boy looked at her, surprised, "What……"_

"_Everybody needs friends! Come on! Let's play together! I'm Ino. You can call me Ino-chan. I'll be your friend!" The girl smiled widely as she held out her hand, genuinely accepting the boy. _

_The boy looked shocked for a moment, before his lips quivered, "You…you want to be…my friend? Really? You would do that?"_

_The girl gave an enthusiastic nod, "Of course! Well, what's your name?" _

_The boy finally smiled, but this time, with a few tears in his eyes as he spoke out loud, "I'm Naruto. Nice to meet you…Ino-chan!" _

_**Kit, you really need to do something about this dreams of yours……**_

_WHOA?! KYUUBI?! What the……_

_**Yep, and you need to do it fast. I know how much she means to you, but can't you see that pushing people away is not the solution?**_

_I'm NOT pushing people away. Least, I'm not doing it on purpose. I'm not…I'm not strong enough. I can't protect those that are precious to me. _

_**Well, then I'll just have to make sure you train harder now don't I? I refuse to let my vessel drown himself in misery. I'll never live it down……**_

_Ok……whatever. But, yeah, should I up my gravity capacity?_

_**Hm…well, currently, you're undergoing level five. I reckon you could jump straight to eight today. We need to focus on getting the styles right. **_

_Sure thing……alright, time to wake up and get some training done!_

It's been two months since Naruto last got the scrolls from Sandaime Hokage. He has currently mastered the genjutsu Akiraka Jiseki _(Clear Trace)_ and he had been so kind to 'decorate' the Hokage monuments using that jutsu that even the Anbu had no idea who had done it. Kyuubi had done his part by teaching him gravity seals. Level one is the basis for all shinobi, meaning they train under normal gravity.

Everyone time you increase your level; it doubles the gravity field, forcing your muscles to adjust. Normally, this would be suicide training, however, with Kyuubi's healing factors, it worked wonders. No longer were there baby fat on Naruto's face, his arms and legs were much more muscular than before and he had found that it even helped with his chakra control exercises a lot.

Kage Bunshin had been an immense help. Naruto had figured the trick behind it very quickly. However, it was by pure luck that he stumbled upon the god-like opportunities this technique presented.

* * *

_**Flashback……**_

_Naruto had summoned a Kage Bunshin to keep him company as he began his training. He would spar with the other 'him' as he worked through all the styles of taijutsu, one by one. Ryu (Dragon), Tora (Tiger), Kijuuki (Crane), Hebi (Snake), Shishi (Lion), Saru (Monkey), Washi (Eagle), Kujira (Whale) were the basic styles. The advanced section, or basically, the styles that mix up all the above mentioned into four more complicated and powerful styles would be Ryuusei (Meteor), Tsuki (Moon), Taiyou (Sun), and finally, Tentou (Heaven). _

_Ryu, Tora, Shishi, Washi focuses on strength and power._

_Kijuuki, Hebi and Saru focuses on fluidity, flexibility, technique and speed._

_Kujira focuses solely on defense, stamina and to train one's mind. _

_Ryuusei is a combination of Tora, Washi and Saru. _

_Tsuki is a combination of Shishi, Kijuuki and Kujira. _

_Taiyou is a combination of Washi, Hebi, and Ryu._

_And Tentou, combination of Ryu, Kijuuki, Kujira and Tora. _

_Tai Chi Juusan Shiki, combines speed and agility, with strength and defense, totally different from the original Tai Chi fist. Chapter one clearly states that to master all the styles would be foolish, for one's body, can only adapt to so many types of trainings, and if beyond a certain point, muscles will contract and relax at the most inopportune moments, and eventually cause the whole body to break down. _

_The final four styles act as a guideline, to show the combinations possible. And it is highly recommended that one trains in no more than four styles at the most. However, there has yet to be one to master the Tentou style, for within it, contains the essence of all aspects of combat. _

_And of course, Naruto, being his stubborn old self, immediately decided to train the Tentou style. And so he started straight away, carefully reading up the positions and ways to use the strength. _

_Currently, Naruto had no problem with Tora and Kujira, seeing that his stamina was off the charts and his strength was good enough, to say the least. However, Ryu proved to be challenging as it used more than just power. It required precision, accuracy and above all, control. Kijuuki was even harder. Control was the main issue. Fluidity was ok-ish for Naruto, and speed was acceptable. Today, he was working on Ryu no Kamae (Dragon Style), and his clone was helping out, when he accidentally used too much power, smashing the clone into another tree, causing it to go 'poof' in a cloud of white smoke. _

_Naruto sighed as he walked over to the tree and look at the damage he caused. However, before he even reached there…… 'Huh? What…oh, so that's why I blasted him off. Sigh…control went off on that strike……WAIT A MINUTE! How did I know that?!' _

_And then came the brilliant discovery. Kage Bunshins (Shadow Clones) transfer whatever information they gained during their existence to the user once they are dismissed. And this……if used for training……WOAH. _

**_Flashback end..._**

* * *

And so, Naruto began. He first created five clones, getting three of them to work on the Kijuuki no Kamae, whereas he himself and the other two continued to go crazy over the frustrating Ryu no Kamae. Five clones became ten, ten became twenty, twenty became fifty. And in just two months, Naruto was able to efficiently train alongside fifty clones, gaining an immense amount of knowledge, every time they disappear. 

The rush of information to his head was handled by Kyuubi, preventing the data overload from affecting his nervous system. It had sorted out everything as quickly as it could, and soon, Naruto found that he was on the verge of mastering Tentou Style. And he wasn't exactly surprised.

What's more, Kyuubi had informed him that the pinnacle of taijutsu was to be able to use one's chakra nature to help him out. As for Naruto, Kyuubi had merely smirked and guffawed before telling the kid to leave him alone and hurry his training. Oh, surprises, surprises……

And so, he trains eight hours a day. Eight times fifty one gives four hundred and eight hours a day. And four hundred and eight times sixty one days? Twenty four thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight hours……yeah. That's a lot of training done in a mere two months. His usually crappy chakra control has been refined by Kujira no Kamae to the point where he could stick himself onto surfaces and not slip. Now, that worked brilliantly on the Hokage when he walked into the office via the ceiling……

His chakra capacity increased daily, and having the gravity seals on was just an added bonus in his training regime. The calories he burnt off due to training……he got them back by eating at least ten bowls of ramen at Ichiraku everyday. His allowance from the Hokage increases over the years until he is deemed able to make a living for himself, i.e. when he becomes a genin.

There was one place however, that he would visit quite frequently. The Hyuga Manor. And here he was again, back at his second 'home', as he would call it. He had just finished a day of training and had decided to drop in for a visit. The Bunke _(Branch Family)_ guards knew him well and treated him as an equal. Now that, coming from the 'almighty' Hyuga clan, as Naruto would call them, was a big thing. However, Naruto detests the laws implemented on both the Soke _(Main family) _and the Bunke members.

In his opinion, the seal was just downright cruel, and the main family members have to train themselves to the point of exhaustion just to make sure they do not dishonor their clan. However, not once did Naruto voice his opinions, but everyone could see his apparent disapproval whenever he's visiting.

Like right now, as he passed by several rooms, the intense training undergone by the members could be seen clearly. It was unnerving. And how some even have the nerve to blame it all on fate. _Urgh…that just totally puts me off……_

He had seen Hyuga Neji, who had ignored him from the start, determined that he, Naruto, was a mere weakling who had chanced upon an opportunity to rescue 'Hinata-sama' and therefore had the backing of 'Hiashi-sama', and it was all because of fate. Honestly, Naruto had never heard so much bull-crap from anyone since he was born. After that speech, Naruto could only stuff his fist inside his mouth, to prevent himself from screaming out in rage at the pure _stupidity _and _cowardice_ that this guy was showing.

And the way he was treating Hinata and Hanabi was no better. He treated them like dirt. Manners, yes he has them, but his glare was enough to show that whatever polite terms he had used were totally insincere. He could not understand why Hinata just had to be so kind, and poor Hanabi, not even understanding why her cousin was so angry. She was still a toddler, yet already, she was beginning to train under her father.

He had heard something about how Neji's father died, but never ventured on any further, upon seeing the hurt in Hiashi's eyes.

Naruto sighed as he shook his head, _Damn I think too much……oh here we are. _

And sure enough, there he was, standing outside the room, waiting for permission to enter. Which of course, he got within a second but that's beside the point.

"Come on in Naruto-kun."

Naruto obliged and quietly slid open the door. Hyuga Hitomi was thirty-one years old, with long flowing navy blue hair tied up in a white ribbon. Her skin was silky white, something that Hinata picked up. Her eyes were kind and her touch was always gentle. She was the most caring person Naruto has ever known, besides Sandaime-jisan of course. She wasn't stiff and strict like Hiashi was half the time, no; she genuinely cared about people's well-being.

She treats Naruto as a son, and that is something Naruto will never forget. Whenever he had troubles, he confided them to her. She was one of his precious people, definitely. Hinata and Hanabi would follow close behind, especially Hanabi, who had taken to him immediately, grabbing his blond hair and giggling as she played with it. Hinata was like a younger sister to her, and he swore that he would protect her if anything ever happened to her. One thing that never changes for Naruto is the fact that he always keeps his promise.

And because of that, he has gained the trust of the Hyuga sisters and their parents. As he was indulged in his train of thoughts, Hitomi smiled and said, "So, what brings you here Naruto-kun?"

He snapped out of his trance and gave a tired smile, "Well, something's bothering me………"

Hitomi knew that smile. It was his 'god damnit, life sucks' smile. If you could even call _that_ a smile. She sighed and motioned for him to come closer, before hugging him gently and listening to his woes.

Naruto had told her before, those dreams he had. She and all the other parents knew the truth behind what he did, and wanted to explain to their own children, but Naruto shook his head, telling Hitomi that it would just make things worse. The problem with Naruto is……he thinks about the others too much. Not just that, he rarely cares about himself. So selfless, so gentle and caring. You wouldn't expect such quality in a boy at his age.

"Naruto-kun, why don't you accept Ino as your friend once again? I'm sure she'll forgive……"

"No. I…I can't. Last time we were friends, those chuunin were about to beat her up as well. I like her Hitomi-sama, I really do. But……and Sakura-chan too……I…I can't do this to them. This is my burden, so I'll carry it myself. This is my story, and no one else can change it but me. I'll do whatever I can to protect them, even if it means that they'll end up hating me……I'll do it."

Naruto's eyes shone with such determination that Hitomi couldn't help chuckling at. _He's so much like him……like they said, like father, like son…….._

"Ok then, Naruto-kun. Well, do you feel better now?"

Naruto grinned and gave a big nod, "Yup! Arigato, Hitomi-sama."

Hitomi sighed and gently tapped his forehead, "How many times have I told you, there is no need to call me 'sama'. I'm not THAT old you know."

"Well, Obasan isn't any better in my opinion……ow! Hey!"

"Baka…" Hitomi then took out a brush and began to gently comb his hair, "Naruto-kun, I've always wondered……what having a son was like……"

Naruto froze, his heart threatened to stop beating any moment……_Is she……_

"I would like……you to become my son……even if we're not related by blood, I would still like to be able to call you my 'sochi' _(son)_, do you……accept me……as a sort of……surrogate mother? Can I…have the honor of you calling me your hahaoya _(mother)_?"

Naruto began to tremble, he was just about to speak, before Hitomi spoke once again, "No, Naruto-kun, I know what you're thinking. You told me once that you do not want to be adopted, and that you like the freedom you have, and I agree with you and respect your decision……but don't you think that even the mightiest of birds, would need to return to their very own nest to rest their wings?"

Tears were threatening to fall any second, he bit his lips, "But…but……the council……"

Hitomi shook her head, "You are not of the Hyuga Clan, they can't do anything about it, we can't adopt you, even though I've been trying for years to be able to do that……but, that doesn't mean I can't love you as a son now, does it?" She smiled warmly.

"Besides, I'm sure Hinata would like to have you as a brother. Hanabi too. They adore you Naruto-kun." Hitomi now, "Come on, Hiashi, say something."

Naruto whirled around, shock evident in his eyes as the leader of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hiashi was standing right there, smiling slightly, "What is your surname Naruto?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, before answering, "Uzumaki, sir."

"Do you have any blood relationships with the Hyuga Clan?"

"No, sir."

"Have you been taken into our custody?"

"Not that I know of……"

"Well, then, I don't see anything wrong with that. Now, come on Hinata, Hanabi, say hello to your new brother." Hiashi stepped aside, revealing two girls who smiled brightly before dashing into the room and latching themselves on to Naruto, "Onichan! _(Older Brother)_"

Naruto gave a slight yelp at the sudden weight increase on his body and fell onto the floor, with Hanabi giggling non-stop, cuddling him like her teddy bear, whereas Hinata merely hugged him gently and gave him a genuine smile.

Hitomi and Hiashi laughed at the scene before them, especially when Hanabi began to plait Naruto's spiky hair. It was hilarious, in the end, Naruto had allowed her to do it. However, whenever his gaze met with the two of them, a mutual understanding was established.

_Arigato……kaasan……_

_We love you Naruto-kun, as much as Hinata and Hanabi. Never ever forget that there will always be ones who care for you. Never forget that. _

And even though it might not have seemed very special to the Hyugas, seeing how they were already treating him as a part of the family, Naruto had found something precious once again. He had four more precious people to protect……and that made him happy to no end……

* * *

_So what do you say? Be friends with me?_

Ino-chan……

_A-a-arigato…Naruto-kun, can…can…will you be my friend?_

Sakura-chan……

_Yes, yes I will. But not yet. I will train to be stronger, until I'm sure that I can protect you, but for now, please…forgive me……for not being able to return your friendship……_

* * *

_**Well, how's that? Hope it went pretty well. And NO, Naruto is NOT adopted into the Hyuga. Simple as that. He will NOT get trained in Jyuken, or given special Hyuga rights or something like that.**_

_**And no, he'll not become so strong over one night that he will own Kakashi during the genin test. He will become progressively stronger. And no bloodlines or anything like that. Any other questions, just review. **_

**_And once again, sorry if the pairings didn't suit your taste, but I hope you'll still continue on with this story, even if the pairing puts you off a little. Thx. Oh, and I'd be immensely pleased if I changed your views on certain pairings. If you don't believe that I can pull it off, fine. But for reference, check out my oneshots. _**

_**Anyways, yeah, that's the gist of it. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. XD**_


	4. Mayhem

_**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! Looks like most of you are happy with how this story is going, whew, am I glad! XD**_

_**Now, this chapter has a time skip of two years, so now, Naruto's nine. Nope, not academy yet. In the manga, he was 12 when he passed the genin test, and he failed it thrice, so that meant that he got in at 9. Well, we all know that he's NOT going to fail three times again, now is he? So just bear with me. **_

_**And pairings wise, if you really want to suggest anything other than Naruto, go for it. I won't mind the suggestions, although I already have in mind what to do with Hanabi, even if that is in the far future…lol. **_

_**Alright, enough babbling, time for Chp 4. XD**_

**_Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, he would be the strongest shinobi across the five main lands, owning stupid Akatsuki and Uchihas all day long……sadly, that ain't gonna happen……… _**

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 4: Mayhem

"HHHAAARGH!" **SMASH!**

"Not bad…but it still needs refining, I reckon. But great job so far. Your Form and Nature manipulation definitely came a long way gaki."

Naruto was panting as he eyed the damage done to the poor tree by his very own original jutsu. It was incredible, and he was proud, however, he knew that wasn't all. The jutsu had the potential to end up as an A-rank assassination jutsu. The speed it requires to charge and execute was a lot faster than some other jutsus. Kyuubi had told him where his fire affinity came from.

And since eight, where he met _her_, he began to train like crazy, doubling the number of kage bunshins he would use, now averaging around two hundred a day. It was a magnificent way of training.

"Kuso……argh, I'm exhausted." Groaned Naruto as he slowly sat down on the forest ground, resting against a tree, as his mentor grinned sadistically, "Oooh, come now gaki, you don't want me to double your training regime do you?"

Naruto sighed, "Look, leave me alone for just two minutes okay? I'm not kidding……"

She raised an eyebrow, "Hmph, seems like you have a limit too. But nevertheless, I am amazed at your progress, ne, Naru-chan, how much further do you think this jutsu can go?"

Naruto grunted at his nickname and replied, "I reckon I may finish it sometime soon, a few days maybe……and don't call me that."

She smirked widely, "Oh, is little Naru-chan all grown up and independent now? Is he so strong that he can ignore his oh so caring Ne-chan?"

Naruto snorted, "You've got to be kidding me. _Caring_? Right, you didn't seem to mind that you were throwing fifty kunais per minute at me when I was just an eight year old. And making me run around this crazy forest, trying to stop you from literally _killing_ me, you can still call yourself caring?"

"Yup!" And with that, she took out another stick of dango and began to eat it, clearly ignoring Naruto's earlier comment.

Naruto growled in frustration, _If there ever was such a freaking annoying woman in the world that I absolutely have no idea HOW to get her off my nerves……it would be Mitarashi Anko……with Hanabi and Hinata following closely behind…….urgh…_

However, said woman was happily engorging herself in the pleasures of consumption, and couldn't care less about what was going through his mind.

It all started the year before……

_**Flashback……**_

_Naruto was training in the patch of forest just next to the fenced off area named "Training area no. 44." He had already got his Tentou style down, and began training on his ninjutsu. His Futon: Kaze no Fukumen (Wind Element: Wind Veil) can now be executed in the blink of an eye. Kyuubi is now guiding him through the ways of manipulating Chakra Nature, mainly how to control fire. _

_Naruto was exhilarated when he managed to create a blue flame in his palm. He created a small C-rank fire jutsu for himself and had even gotten the Hokage to approve it. He named it Katon: Shakkakyu (Fire Element: Crimson Flame Ball), due to the fact that it was literally creating a small ball of fire within your palm, you can adjust its size depending on your control and chakra capacity and let's say, you wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of it. _

_Yes, and that was the start of his very own 'collection' of original jutsus. He currently had two on the list, well, technically one and a half, but meh, details, who needs them. _

_And so here he was, training diligently, trying to think of another jutsu that could help him, and that was when he saw two kunoichis appear on the side of training area 44, arguing intensely. _

_From what Naruto could pick up due to his slightly enhanced senses, it seemed as though the black-haired woman was ranting about how she finally had the chance to get revenge, and how the 'snake bitch' was going down. _

_And without warning, the purple-haired female was struck right in the chest, and just as she was about to block, her 'friend' had slammed a kunai into her shoulder, pining her to the tree. _

_Naruto raged at the sight of that, he hated those who looked down on others, and he did what he thought was right, he charged up his Shakkakyu and took aim. _

"_HAHA! Didn't see it coming now, did you Anko?! Even the Hokage got fooled by me. All I had to do was pretend to be a goody girl and he let me team up with you. That old senile! Now DIE!" And just as the psycho was about to plunge the kunai into her heart, Naruto flung his fire ball as hard as he could, right into her back. The fiery chakra ball detonated on contact and sent the kunoichi flying into the fences surrounding the area, effectively knocking her unconscious. _

_Naruto actually forgot to gape at his jutsu's power, and rushed to help the purple-haired woman pinned to the tree. He had inwardly yelled at Kyuubi for help and the fox had grumbled the reply back to him. So he did as he was told, he channeled some fire-natured chakra to his fingers, and tapped multiple spots that Kyuubi had pointed out. _

_The woman looked surprised at Naruto's ability to temporarily close nerve points to lessen the pain, what's more, the fiery feeling she got was oddly comforting, soothing her nerves. _

_And when he pulled the kunai out, it didn't even hurt……Little did Naruto know, he had just learnt one of the most effective ways of treating a kunai wound. It was Anbu-class, and a definite knowledge required. Of course, it was rarely used in times of combat, seeing how you do not have the leisure to be busy tapping yourself when the enemy could be throwing more kunais at you. But off the battlefield, it was a necessity. _

_The woman watched on amused as the kid busied himself in getting the kunai off, and muttered, "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"_

_Naruto merely grinned as he successfully removed the obstacle and placed her onto the ground. He gave a sigh of relief before wiping off the sweat on his head, "Inu-san! I know you're there!"_

_And as expected, said Anbu jumped into the clearing and ruffled Naruto's hair, "I swear you're getting better at this everyday. Now, Naruto, I need you and Anko to come with me to see the Hokage for a moment……"_

_Five minutes later, he got the shock of his life. He had just assisted in an A-rank mission! Him! An eight-year old kid! WHOOHOO! _

_The purple-haired brunette turned out to be a Tokubetsu Jounin (Special Jounin), Mitarashi Anko. Inu-san was supposed to lead his squad as back up. It was a plot to capture that spy from Iwagakure (Hidden Village of Stone). _

_The Hokage had commended him on his help and said, "Now, Naruto, a few days ago, remember when I asked you whether you would like a mentor to help you in your training?"_

_After receiving a very enthusiastic nod, Sarutobi smiled, "Well, since you both met, I guess introductions are in order." _

_Naruto's eyes widened to the size of plates……he just saved his new 'sensei'? WHOA. _

"_Yo, you did pretty well back there. What's the name gaki?"_

"_Uzumaki Naruto! Future Hokage!" _

"_Oh, ambitious aren't we?"_

"_Yep!" _

"_Well, guess it's you and me now, you ready gaki? I won't take it easy on you!"_

"_No prob!" _

_**Flashback end……**_

And that, was how Naruto came to add another precious person to his list. Mitarashi Anko turned out to be quite the protective sister. Her ways of showing affection……were……unique…yeah. Let's end it at that.

"Alright brat! Break's OVER. Now, time to check up on your reflexes! What do ya say?!" Anko was fingering a very _sharp_ kunai with that mischievous glint in her eyes _and_ that sadistic smirk on her face……

_Oh crap……here we go again……_

And indeed, the next few hours of Naruto's training……need not be revealed……yeah……

* * *

_**Few hours later……**_

Naruto was dragging his battered body back to his apartment, where he took a quick shower, and changed into a clean set of clothes, before setting off for the Hyuga Mansion. Today was the day where he promised little Hanabi that he would take her on a trip to that little forest just outside of Konoha.

It was Hitomi who suggested it, and Hinata would go as well, along with a branch member, Kireki-san, as an escort. Hanabi had been bugging him for a while and so he had agreed to this plan. After all, he did need to relax for awhile after enduring that torture session…_How can you even call that training? Crazy……_

"Yo! Kireki-san! I assume we're all ready to go?" Naruto grinned as he looked up at one of the strongest females in the clan, not to mention one of the prettiest.

Kireki smiled lightly and gave a nod, before replying, "Hanabi-sama is just getting dressed, Hinata-sama is in the living room, saying goodbye. Ah, here they are."

"NARUTO-NI-CHAN!"

_OOOF! _Was the only reaction she got as she tackled her brother onto the ground. Naruto grumbled, "Geez, Hanabi-chan, you really need to stop this. You could've killed me!" He grabbed at his heart in mock hurt.

"Meanie!" pouted Hanabi as she crossed her arms, trying to look like her father……and failing miserably. She was just too cute that way. Naruto couldn't help it and hugged her gently before carrying her in his arms and setting her on his shoulders, "Okay, I'm sorry. Here, for the rest of the night, you get to enjoy the 'Sugoi Tokubetsu Naruto Kakei' _(Amazing Special Naruto View)_, how's that sound?"

Hanabi gave a squeal in glee as she made herself comfortable by flopping the upper half of her body onto Naruto's hair, snuggling in its warmth. For some unfathomable reason, Hanabi just can't get enough of Naruto's hair……_Is it the shampoo? Must be…hey! Is she sniffing……whew…OW! She's pulling……grrr…….honestly, what is so damn special about my hair?_

Just then, a soft voice called out, "Maybe it's because it's so randomly arranged…and spiky……hehe. Konbanha_ (Good evening)_ Naruto-ni-san."

Naruto gave her his usual foxy grin and gave her a quick hug, before greeting Hitomi at the doors. "Kaasan, don't worry, I'll protect those two if it's the last thing I do. Hehe. Well, we're off!"

Just then, another male branch member appeared at the doors, along with Hiashi, "Just a minute, Hitomi-sama, I feel that having two guards is a safer bet, please, allow me to accompany them. I've already gotten Hiashi-sama's consent."

Hitomi narrowed her eyes slightly, before looking at her husband. She saw his gaze and reluctantly gave a nod. This guy's name was Akisu, one of the guys that Naruto hated instantly. And Naruto frowned at the new addition to the team. He gazed at Hitomi, only to see her smile slightly, tilting her head as usual, giving him reassurance, and that was all he needed.

Kireki didn't know Akisu too well, but disliked him due to his pompous attitude and his bad temper. He had been acting a bit weird lately, and has always eyed the two heirs to the clan with contempt, why then, was he volunteering?

However, upon seeing Hiashi-sama's glance, she gave a nod, before they set off, with her leading the front, and Akisu flanking the rear. Naruto was right behind her, entertaining Hanabi and Hinata as they went.

Now, the forest they were going to was special. How? Well, it was the place where the waterfall was the most famous place to sightsee in the fire country. It was beautiful, with pebbles glittering under the soft moonlight, and the soft whispers of the water were able to calm your tense nerves in a matter of moments. The moonlight silhouette added a mysterious feel to the whole place, not to mention that it was a great place to star-gaze.

It was chosen by Naruto, after some research and pestering with the Hokage and Hitomi couldn't have been more satisfied. And as expected, Hinata and Hanabi totally adored their destination. It was gorgeous. Naruto had to admit, it looked even better than some of the pictures taken.

Kireki gave a sigh as she made herself comfortable under a tree, and whilst keeping an eye on the children, she too relaxed under the quiet moon. Hinata and Hanabi played lightly with the water, gently spraying each other a little here and there, with Naruto laughing and playing with them. It was tranquil……yet, Naruto couldn't help but frown, something was off……

_Oi, kuso kitsune, you sense anything? That Akisu guy……he just ticks me off……_

_**Hmph, that tone will not get you anywhere……**_

_And I care because…?_

_**Grr……fine. I'm going to sleep. **_

_Okay, okay, I'm kidding. Now honestly, what is up with that guy?_

_**Just be on your guard. Treat this as a sort of mission, and respect it. Nothing should go wrong……**_

_Okay then. Thanks. _

_**Did I hear right? This ungrateful brat just said……**_

_I take it back. Shame. _

And with that, he cut off the link and resumed in his fun and laughter. Akisu merely stood there, stone-faced, totally serious. He activated his byakugan secretly and smirked when he saw them coming.

'_Oh yeah, it's time. Ha, time to die demon scum! Oh not to mention those disgusting main house brats! Hope they enjoy their afterlife…without their precious eyes!' _

He walked casually towards Kireki and pretended as though there was something behind her, "Hey! Look out!"

Kireki's eyes shot open and she spun around, only to feel an immense pain in her back as she felt the kunai plunge into her body, eliciting a scream from her.

Naruto's head shot up at that and saw Kireki being punched right into the cliff beside the waterfall, temporarily disabling her. His sadistic smirk was all Naruto needed to tell that something very, very bad was about to happen.

Indeed, without warning, a fist lodged itself firmly in his cheek, blasting him into the trees, making him cough up blood. Hanabi screamed as the guy that assaulted them grabbed her roughly and struck several pressure points, temporarily paralyzing her. The man turned out to be a Kumo-missing Nin, seeing how there was a slash on his headband.

"Hanabi!" Hinata was just about to rush over when Akisu slapped her right in the face, before giving her a punch straight in the stomach, rendering her helpless as she kicked him away.

"Hey! Muraki! All done! Ha! That will teach them to disrespect me! Now, as planned, should we kill the her?" mumbled Akisu to the missing nin as he jerked his thumb towards Kireki……only to find that she wasn't there……

"SCUM!" yelled Kireki as she slammed a Juken strike right in his side, before following up with a kick, only to find that it was blocked by the missing nin. Muraki sneered as he slammed his fist down on her leg, breaking the bones and using his immense strength, he flung her away.

Kireki was doing all she could to not faint from the pain she was put through. This was unreal. A normal play-trip transformed into an A-rank protection mission. What's worse, she's on the losing end……

Akisu activated his byakugan and rushed in to challenge her. Kireki, needless to say, was subdued after a few strikes, seeing how she was severely injured. Akisu took out a kunai and smashed it into her shoulder, pinning her to the tree.

Her screams were ignored as Akisu didn't so much as look at her, before walking over to Naruto, "Hmph, demon brat, I finally get to kill you. Think of all the honour I will get."

'Naruto' suddenly went 'poof' into a cloud of smoke, and that was when Akisu knew he was in trouble.

"Take that!" Yelled Naruto as he drove his fist right in his gut, administering Tora no Kamae. He continued the combo with an uppercut, sending him into the air, before gathering chakra into his feet. He too leapt into the air with two roundhouse kicks, he bashed Akisu right in the head, and was about to finish him off when all of a sudden, "Raiton: Rakurai! _(Thunder Element: Lightning Bolt)_"

And before Naruto could even react, a huge bolt of electricity coursed through his body, sending spasms through his nervous system, totally messing up his coordination, not to mention it hurt like crazy.

"Naruto-nisan!" screamed Hinata as Akisu held a kunai to her throat.

"Demon! Either you let me kill you, or I kill her. Your choice. Muraki! Take that girl and run! I'm sure that someone would have noticed the explosion you caused by now! Go!"

Muraki merely glared, but did as he was told. However, before he could take even one step, he frowned, as a dozen or so clones were surrounding him, determined on not letting him go.

Hanabi felt helpless, she hated seeing her beloved brother in pain. What's worse, she was indirectly the cause of it. If only she had trained harder……if only she hadn't pestered him……if only they didn't come on this stupid trip!

The tears in her eyes caused a wave of sadness to Naruto's heart. He growled as he yelled, "Hanabi! Hinata! Trust me! I WILL SAVE YOU! OR I'LL DIE TRYING!"

Akisu inched the kunai slightly towards her throat, causing a tiny bit of blood to escape, his menacing smirk plastered on his face all the while. Hinata merely closed her eyes and mouthed, _Run_.

_Fox………_

_**Done. Go wild kit……**_

However, what surprised the two enemies the most was when Naruto formed a Bird and a Ram seal, and the purple light that glowed on the ground he was standing on.

"Juuryoku Sumitsuki, Juuichi Taira, KAI! _(Gravity Black Seal, Eleventh Level, Release)_" And as the jutsu was formed, his chakra flared intensely for a moment, before slowly dying down, and soon, the same feeling of lightness came upon Naruto and muttering the words, "Shunpo. _(Flash Step)_" He dashed off at speeds deemed unattainable for an eight-year old kid.

In just one move, he got right up in front of Akisu and smashed his fist right into his face, blasting him through the trees. The Kage Bunshins on the other hand, have successfully rescued Hanabi, and are now doing their best to contain the missing nin. Kireki stared in awe as Naruto handled the situation, it was unbelievable!

Naruto gave Hinata a quick hug, before charging up his fire ball, "Katon: Shakkakyu! _(Fire Element: Crimson Flame Ball)_" This time however, he charged it to twice its normal size and with extreme accuracy, lodged directly onto Akisu, causing him to scream in agony as the flame engulfed him. The fact that Kyuubi's fiery chakra made up ninety percent of it assured his defeat.

It was then, that Naruto bit his thumb and smudged some blood onto his palm, "Ninpo: Kuchiyose! Emerge from the shadows, SHINKU! _(Ninja arts, summoning jutsu!)_" And answering his call, a medium-sized crimson kitsune appeared with his two tails in all his glory.

"You called, Naruto-sama?"

"Shinku, I need you to immobilize him just for a few seconds, if possible, keep him away from Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan."

Said fox nodded before dashing into the fray, aiding the Kage Bunshins.

Naruto however, took the chance to rush over to Kireki and placed his hand on her leg, concentrating, "Kireki-san, it might sting, but please, just bear with it……"

And slowly, to Kireki's amazement, blood red chakra began to seep into her wound, healing it at an amazing rate. She felt the energy coursing through her, she felt revitalized.

In just a minute, her major wound was no longer bleeding, "Kireki-san, I've tried the best I can, it's going to be fine for now. I need your help. My chakra supplies are depleting rapidly, and I have just enough for that one attack. Please, get Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan when you have the chance, and quickly run back to Konoha first. I'll try and stall for time. You and I are in no real condition to be battling, so please, trust me."

Kireki hated to admit it, but that seemed like the only solution. Her leg was cured, and she was ready to go. "Naruto-kun, thank you."

Naruto gave her that confident grin, before charging right at Muraki, getting his attention away from the two helpless girls, and using his Kage Bunshins, he got them to Kireki. "Hurry, Kireki-san!" And as expected, the clone went 'poof', disappearing due to the lack of chakra.

Kireki focused immediately and sent one last gaze at the brave boy, before forming a ram seal, "Shunshin no jutsu!" And in a cloud of smoke, she disappeared.

Naruto sighed in relief as he witnessed their departure. Muraki too saw it and was furious. "You brat! You just ruined my meat ticket back to Kumogakure! You're going down! Raiton: Kanden! _(Electric Shock)_"

In an instant, electricity was emitted in all directions, promptly destroying all the clones. Naruto gasped as the Kumo nin engaged him in close combat. He too, kept his cool and held his opponent off pretty well using the 'Tentou' style, however, due to his rapidly diminishing chakra, he knew that he wasn't going to last too long.

Just then, Shinku snapped at the Kumo nin with his sharp jaws, buying Naruto some time.

* * *

_**Back in Konohagakure……**_

"Hokage-sama!" Yelled Kireki with the last of her strength, as she shunshin-ed into the Hokage's office. She wasn't surprised to see Hiashi there, as she knew they had a meeting.

Sarutobi and Hiashi stood up abruptly at the sight of the two unconscious girls, with blood all over their clothes.

"What happened? Where is Naruto?" asked Hiashi urgently, refusing to believe what he feared had come true.

"He's holding them off. He told me to bring Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama back first. Please hurry, it's Kumo's Muraki……"

"WHAT?! Izumi! Get me Anko right now!" roared Sarutobi as he let the words sink in.

Muraki Igarame, B-rank Missing nin, averaging between high chunnin and low jounin in terms of taijutsu and ninjutsu respectively. This wasn't looking good at all.

"Hokage-sama! What's the matter?"

"Anko, I need you to follow Kireki-san here. Naruto's in danger. He's fighting Muraki."

Anko's eyes widened before she gritted her teeth, "Hai!"

Kireki signaled for her to follow and with that, they dashed out into the night.

During all the ruckus, the girls have woken up and stared at their surroundings, only to find themselves pulled into a huge hug by their father, "Oh thank god you're both alright! Come, we're going to the hospital!"

"But Chichioya_ (Father)_, where is Ni-san? Is he alright?" Hinata asked timidly whereas Hanabi began to cry.

Hiashi sighed as he stared at the Hokage, before turning back to his daughters, "He will be……I'm certain of it……"

* * *

_**Back with Naruto……**_

"Raiton: Shougeki! _(Thunder Element: Shock)_"

"ARGH!!!" screamed Naruto as once again, he was hit by that jutsu. Things have definitely gone downhill since Kireki left. Naruto found out that the guy he was fighting had an old injury that was apparently slowing him down, and tried to exploit that weakness. However, his opponent wasn't a B-rank missing nin for nothing and had much more experience than him.

All the attacks were nullified and now, it was all Naruto could do to dodge. _If the reinforcements don't arrive in two minutes, then I'm toast……_

Naruto yelped as once again, he narrowly dodged the attack. Shinku was trying his best to help, blasting fireballs every now and then to help deflect the attack, but the pure strength of the Kumo missing nin was overwhelming, even for Shinku and he too, found that his chakra was depleting. The fox had sustained a fair amount of hits as well and he looked ready to fall any time now.

Naruto knew it was now or never. He had to risk it. "Shinku! Grab him and make sure he stays in that place! I'm going to finish it now!" And the fox leapt at the Kumo nin again. This time however, he played smart and tripped the guy whilst biting him, using one of his tails, he wrapped it around his neck whilst his jaws lodged themselves firmly on his arm.

Naruto formed the seals, praying to god that he could get the control and power right.

He was going to use that jutsu, his second ever original one. The one he had practiced all day before this dreadful event.

_Tori, Ryu, Ohitsuji, Tora, Uma, Usagi, Inu, RYU! _

"All right, come on!" Naruto concentrated all his remaining chakra and onto his palm, the pure intensity of it made it possible for the chakra to be seen. He then manipulated the chakra, forcing it to accumulate into a huge fire ball enveloping his right fist. It was a magnificent sight, his fist was on fire, literally, with the scorching hot blue flame dancing around his fist, it was crackling every now and then, and finally, he was ready.

"HAAARGH! Shunpo!" And in flash, he dashed off towards his enemy, the flames growing wilder by the second, gaining power as the wind spurred them on, his eyes roaring with determination as he appeared right in front of the Kumo missing nin, fist drawn back, "It's over! KAEN FUREA! _(Blaze Flare)_"

And with his final strength, he drove his fist of flame right into Muraki's chest, melting the skin surrounding it, ignoring the armor plates he wore, burning right through his body. But it wasn't over, this technique was special in the sense that it consisted of two parts. The first was to stun the opponent where the second one was the real deal. Normally, Naruto would never use the second half of the jutsu, but now, he couldn't care less.

He ignored the screams of agony coming from Muraki and firmly grasped his right arm using his left hand and focused the flames into the shape of a blade, and aiming it right at Muraki's heart, he yelled, "HIKETSU! _(Reject)_" And **BOOM!** The flame projectile smashed through the enemy's heart, blasting him away as a huge explosion took place, Naruto's arm was jerked back due to the sheer power of the explosion and he too was sent tumbling to the ground.

He had done it. There was no way Muraki could've survived it. He gasped as his eyes struggled to stay open. He could faintly hear cries of _'Naruto'_ in the distance, but he couldn't help it.

_Haha, I did it. I protected them……_

The last thing he saw was that familiar blob of purple hair as he drifted off into the darkness, embraced by the tranquility of it, and finally getting some well-deserved rest……

However, that gentle smile never left his face……and little did Naruto know, that he had just taken a huge step towards the future………

* * *

_**Well, well. Surprising eh? I hope you liked my jutsu! I swear it's one hundred percent original. And don't be surprised that Naruto got the summoning jutsu down already. Come on, he was trained by Anko. No, Anko wasn't his OFFICIAL sensei, but more like a mentor, you know?**_

_**And this isn't really what I would call strong yet. All will be explained in the next chapter, but if you still have other questions you wish to ask, just pop a review and I'll answer it. XD**_

_**I hope it wasn't too badly done. If it was, meh, too bad, I gave it my all, and hence, I hope you guys can enjoy it as much as I do. That's all I guess. ;) **_


	5. Savior

_**A/N: Glad that you all like the action scenes, now, time to take a break and show some fluff. Now, let's put my skills to test and see if I get this right. Well, without further adieu, please enjoy Chapter 5!**_

_**Ah yes, And I have something I need you guys to vote on. Check end of chapter to see what it is. **_

**_Disclaimer: I would not be sitting here in front of my com if I owned Naruto, hell no, I'd be making sure certain…changes are made to the relationships within…… _**

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 5: Savior

"_Wait up!"_

"_Eh? Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"_

"_I…I……"_

"_What is it?" grinned the boy._

_The pink-haired girl blushed, before shoving a plushie into his arms, "Thanks for helping me!"_

_The boy's eyes widened for a moment, before shaking his head, "I did what I should, there is no need to give this to me. Besides, don't you like him?" The boy pointed at the fox plushie, all the while smiling gently._

_The girl shook her head, "I want you to have it."_

_The boy sighed, "Alright, but here, how about we do it this way?"_

_The girl tilted her head to the side, "Huh?"_

_The boy grinned before saying, "I'll keep it as a token of our friendship, but if you ever feel that I'm not a good friend, I'll give it back to you straight away……oof!"_

"_Don't say that! Don't say that! Naru-kun is my best friend! You're not allowed to say that!" The pink haired girl cried into his chest, before staring up with intense determination, "If that's the case, then I never want it back! I want you to always be my friend! Forever and ever and ever!"_

_The boy just stood there, dumbfounded, before slowly, a smile took over his face, a pure naïve smile as he held out his pinky, "Shake on it?"_

_The girl immediately did so, and as she left, the boy yelled, "Sakura-chan! Don't forget it! It's a promise of a lifetime!"_

_"I won't!"_

* * *

"Wake up Naruto! Wake up! Wake up!" 

_What the……who's calling me?_

"God, why isn't he waking up?"

_Is that……_

"Anko, calm down, the doctors are trying their best, all you're doing is delaying his healing process."

_Ne-chan……_

"Ni-chan! I'm sorry! Are you angry at me? I'm sorry! I promise I'll never pester you again! Please wake up!"

_Hanabi……_

"Naruto-ni-san! Oh no, hahaoya _(mother)_ please help him!"

_Hintata………_

"Naruto-kun!"

_Hitomi-kaasan……_

_**Well, kit, looks like you did find some people to care about you after all. But do I need to bloody kill you for using such a freaking risky jutsu or do I just let it go?**_

_That is the stupidest dilemma I've ever heard of. You sure you not going senile you dumb fox?_

_**Are you trying to piss me off?**_

_No need to try you know……_

_**SHUT THE HELL UP!!!**_

_But if I do that, how will you get back in there?_

_**Grrrr……you're pushing it……**_

_Alright, alright, calm down. Right, I'll talk later, but now, I really gotta go back._

_**Tch, whatever kit. Just stay alive.**_

_Will do..._

* * *

"Look, his eyes! Naruto!" 

Indeed, ignoring the bright lights and the whiteness of the surroundings, he opened his eyes and started to get up. He placed his palm on his forehead, trying to sort out his memories. _I remember……beating that Kumo guy……and then……Anko came and saved me I reckon……_

At that moment, he was enveloped in a strong hug by Hitomi, "Thank goodness, you have no idea how worried we were! I swear, if you take those kinds of risks again……Oh Naruto……" Her eyes were filled with tears, yet there were no sadness in them, only joy, pure elation that her son had pulled through.

Naruto chuckled and gave a small smile, "Gomen _(sorry)_, I'll be more careful next time." He scratched his head before saying, "Where's Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan? Are they okay?"

Just then, the door flew open and before he knew it, two soft figures were already hugging the life out of him, "Ni-san! You're back! Were you angry at Hanabi? Was that why you wouldn't come back? If that's so, I'm sorry! I really am!"

Naruto immediately looked down, and sure enough, there she was, with her lips quivering, her eyes all teary and her expression just downright cute. He gently lifted her into his arms and hugged her back, "No, Hanabi-chan, I'll never be angry at you. I was away because……I had some……stuff to do……But hey! I got back as quick as I can didn't I? He grinned.

Hanabi, upon seeing that famous foxy grin, couldn't help it but giggle before snuggling in Naruto's chest, happy and content that her brother was back.

Hinata on the other hand, couldn't help but sigh at Naruto's smart way of handling it. She had been trying to calm Hanabi down for the past fifteen minutes, to no avail, yet here comes Naruto, in just two seconds, made Hanabi all happy and smiley……and for some reason, Hinata thinks it's not only because of Naruto being the _cause_ of Hanabi's tantrum, it's just, his posture just…reassures you in a way……

"Hinata-chan, gomen, I wasn't strong enough to protect……"

"Don't say that! It was my fault! If only I had been stronger……"

"Both of you stop this nonsense!"

"But Kaasan!"

"No buts! Naruto-kun, you are not even a genin yet. No one expects you to be able to take down a B-rank missing nin. So don't go around thinking that you are _supposed_ to be able to take enemies of this sort all day long! Are we clear?" Hitomi gazed straight into his eyes, wanting to make sure that the message was sent across.

Naruto sighed, before replying, "Yeah. Crystal."

Hitomi shook her head and gave a sigh of exasperation before gathering all three of her children into a big hug, "Bakas……you're all my little bakas……"

Even Hiashi couldn't help but chuckle at this statement. Indeed, Naruto was howling with laughter at the statement, little Hanabi was jumping on the bed with glee whereas Hinata was laughing softly in her mother's hug. It was finally over……

"Ne, ne, Sandaime-ji-san, where's Anko-ne-chan?"

"Ah, she is currently worrying about her little brother and is currently interrogating the Hyuga stupid enough to fight her brother. She was waiting along with us for you to wake up, however, seeing how she really needed some stress relief, I reckoned that maybe, a distraction is appropriate."

Sarutobi chuckled as he remembered how much sadism Anko had shown at the mention of the words 'Akisu' and 'Interrogation', oooh boy, you do NOT want to be near her this very moment. Honestly, Anko is the only woman in the village to make full use of the words "looks can kill." Akisu is probably wetting his pants this very moment just by staring at Anko.

"Now, Naruto-kun, I'm sad to say that I must take my leave as there are other matters that I have to discuss with Hiashi-san. I wish you a quick recovery and all the best in your training. Ah, that's right, before I forget, please, come to my office when you're discharged. That'll be all." And with that, he ruffled Naruto's blond spiky locks gently before leaving with Hiashi.

Naruto thought for a moment, before turning to Hitomi, "Ne, Kaasan, could you do me a favour?"

Hitomi huffed at the question, "Of course! Why would I refuse you?"

Naruto chuckled at her, knowing that she was trying to cheer him up, "Could you go to my apartment and fish out a box under my bed? There…there's a fox plushie and a yellow-orange scarf in it. Could you get it for me?"

Hitomi's eyes softened and gave a nod, "Okay, just wait a while okay? I'll be right back. Hinata and Hanabi will look after you, won't they?"

"HAI!" two unanimous voices rang clear in his ears and he couldn't help but smile. And so, Hitomi left as well, knowing what those two items meant.

Naruto sighed, and gave a yawn, fatigue getting the best of him. Hinata noticed it and quickly tucked him in, wanting him to be as comfortable as possible. And so, with a quiet 'thanks', Naruto drifted off to sleep once again.

* * *

"_Ohayo! How are you today?" _

"_Fine I guess. It's getting cold though, you sure you're wearing enough Ino-chan?"_

"_Yup! Mum made me very warm before coming out! Say, Naru-kun, supposedly, someone gave you a scarf, what would you say to her?"_

_The boy thought for a while, before answering, "Well, I would thank her very much, but then, I doubt any girl would care that much about me."_

_The girl seemed to pout, "Oh? That's what you think of me as well?"_

"_No, no, no! I never meant you Ino-chan! You're the most polite and kind girl I know! Definitely! Come on, forgive me?" _

"_Hehe, oh Naru-kun, you're too fun to tease!" And with that, she whipped out a wrapped box from behind her back, "Tada! Come on, open it!" _

_The boy's eyes widened for a moment, before staring at the girl, "For me?"_

"_Yep!" smiled the girl._

_The boy lowered his head for a moment, his lips quivering, before his head shot back up, with that same big grin on his face, "Thanks! Ino-chan! Wow, a scarf! Orange too! My favorite!" _

"_Now, Naru-kun, you won't be cold anymore. Well, even if you still are, just think of the times when we were together, that way, you would feel better. That's what my mum said." _

"I_no-chan, arigato. I will. Whenever I put this on, I'll think of you! I won't forget it! It's a promise!" And amidst the fun and laughter they had that day, the scarf was now the first ever precious possession the boy had…… _

* * *

"Hm……argh………what…what the……oh……it's just a dream……sigh, why can't I get those memories out of my head?" Naruto muttered bitterly to himself. He hated it. All these good memories just made the bad ones stand out even more. 

"Eh? Ah, looks like I fell asleep for two hours……Hanabi-chan and Hinata-chan went home already with Kaasan. Oh well, at least Foxie is here……brrr……it's getting cold……" And with a swift move, he wrapped the orange scarf around his neck, and cuddled the plushie to his chest.

_**Yo kit. Feeling better?**_

_Yeah…I guess. Oh, thanks for helping me out again. Appreciate it._

_**Hmph, you better. But then, if you die, I die. Not much of a choice. **_

_Haha, true. But it's not everyday you get a nine-tailed kitsune to save you now is it?_

_**Keep dreaming and it might come true.**_

………_you just saved me didn't you……_

……_**that doesn't COUNT!**_

_Man, Kyuubi, one would think demon lords were smart…what happened to……_

_**YOU DON'T WANT TO FINISH THAT SENTENCE!**_

_Hey, hey, chill. Just stating a fact……_

_**WHY YOU………wait……what was that?**_

_What was what?_

_**Shut up you numbskull, I'm trying to concentrate………yep, that scent……it must be them, you better hurry kid.**_

_What? What's wrong, not another……_

_**I'm just saying that your precious friends are currently undergoing some intense trouble there……**_

_WHAT?! _

_**Yeah, so should we go? Your choice……**_

_Stupid fox, isn't it obvious?_

_**Well, fine by me, I've strengthened your muscles temporarily as best as I could. Hope it lasts. Now go! I'll tell you the directions!**_

And with that, the link was cut and in a flash, Naruto was out of the door, rushing down the corridors. Gasps were heard everywhere and he could still hear the doctors yelling at him to come back, something about how he hasn't recovered yet.

But now, he couldn't care less, he rushed out of the main lobby and out into the streets, and as he ran closer to the destination, sure enough, voices could be heard……_their _voices……oh how he missed them!

* * *

_**At the playground……**_

"Haha! You skunk! Dirt like you should know their places! Now bend and lick my shoes like you're supposed to!" Yelled a big boy, literally, seeing how he was twice the height of that poor girl with that pale blond ponytail.

"Shut up! Argh!" She was once again pushed to the grounds, "I won't let you beat me! Hang in there Sakura!"

"HA! What do you think you can do to us? Demon-lovers like you should just die like the filth you are! Mama told me that demons should die, so if you love demons, you should die as well!" muttered the big genin sadistically. He whipped out a kunai, and swiped it gently across the girl's arm, drawing a thin line of blood, causing a yelp to come from the girl.

"Ino!" cried the pink haired girl as she was trying her best to push off the boys who were trying to beat her up. Sadly, she was failing miserably.

"Haha! Your parents won't be here to save you now! There's a council meeting right now, so no one will blame us! My dad's a council member, and if I said that you demon-lovers attacked me first like the crazy sluts you are, he will praise me! Now, should I slice you up one by one……or piece by piece?" That maniacal gleam in his eyes terrified the girls to no end.

True, their parents had left them there to play with each other because there was a council meeting and their parents were part of the Shinobi Council half, whereas the other half were made up of civilians.

They were just happily making a sandcastle, when suddenly this boy just charged in with his gang of bullies and proceeded to attack them. He was the notorious new genin, Keigamaru, the bully of the neighbourhood, however, because his father was a civilian council member, the other people didn't dare to punish him for fear of his father's power over them.

And as expected, Keigamaru turned out to be the biggest ass there ever was, loving to pick on the weak, especially girls. He had tried to get those two girls to play with him, but they merely scoffed at his disgusting attempts at perversion, and so he was angry and ordered his gang to attack them.

"Sakura!" She yelled desperately as she tried to get away from the crazy genin. She hated to admit it, but she knew that he would do it. One thing was certain, Keigamaru always gets what he wants. That was the law in the 'children's neighbourhood'. Anyone that dares defy him would get a beating, or threatening. Only one person dared to stand up to him, however, that current person isn't here, and Ino was trying to think of a solution to handle this.

"Haha, why don't you use your special jutsus? You think I don't know about them? You Yamanakas and Harunos are no good clans! My father said so! You demon-lovers! DIE!"

And with all his might, he flung his only two kunais at the girls, seeing how they were cornered. He felt no remorse. They were just two bugs, ready to be squashed. Hmph, teach them to mess with the great Keigamaru-sama.

Ino grabbed Sakura's hand tightly as she saw the kunais appear. They were cornered. They couldn't escape. If she hadn't been caught off guard the first time, she wouldn't have wasted so much chakra trying to get to Sakura, but even then it proved pointless, for the boys were just bigger than them and much stronger.

She gave a sigh and looked at Sakura, only to find the girl looking back at her. She gave a nod and both girls grasped each other's hand tightly, waiting for the inevitable, yet all the while thinking of how they couldn't even get to see their other best friend just once more………

**SPLASH!** The kunais were right on target. They plunged right into the chest and blood splattered into the air. Now, that would seem normal to Keigamaru, however, not in this case. No. See, there was something wrong in this picture.

One, it was a boy who took the kunais' hit.

Two, he wasn't falling onto the ground, much less dead.

Three, he had blond hair and blue eyes and was wearing hospital clothes.

Four, the boy was snarling at him.

Five……he is Uzumaki Naruto……

To say Keigamaru was scared was an understatement. With Naruto mustering all the killer intent he could gather and directing them right at the bullies……scared couldn't even begin to describe the situation. He had pissed his pants straight away when the 'demon boy' had glared at him with such contempt. One could literally feel the power and chakra oozing off him……and the fact that the chakra was red………

"_**How dare you touch them! How dare you even try and attack them? I'm going to rip you to pieces!" **_snarled the Kyuubified Naruto as he rushed at the dumbass who started this whole ordeal and gave him one strong punch right in the face, effectively breaking his nose and causing at least five of his teeth to be dislodged from his jaw. Not to mention the fact that Keigamaru crashed right through a tree due to the sheer force of the impact.

The other bullies just stood there. Fear had them rooted to their spots. They couldn't do anything. It was just too overwhelming, victory had tasted so sweet……if you could even call that a victory, and all of a sudden, their worst nightmare arrived.

"_**If you vermin even dare so much as touch them once again, I swear I'll make you regret it!"**_growled Naruto as he pointed to Keigamaru, _**"Now get that guy out of here and out of my sight……or else……"**_

Did they need to be told a second time? No, they don't. So what did they do? They did the smart thing and rushed Keigamaru to the hospital, all of them trembling all the way and tripping over the roads and stuff.

The chakra slowly died down, and accompanying Naruto's rapid panting, two simultaneous gasps were heard.

Naruto slowly pulled out the kunais in his chest and for once, thanked the gods for having Kyuubi within him. He didn't dare turn around. He didn't want to see the looks on their faces. It was too painful.

He took a step forward, but couldn't help but fall as the strength left his body. See, here was a perfect example where he totally forgot how he just fought a B-rank missing-nin plus a Hyuga traitor and is suffering from multiple injuries.

_No, I…I can't……I can't face them……_

Yet even so, he couldn't help but turn his face slightly as he felt two pairs of arms hugging him to them tightly, never wanting to let go.

"Naru-kun!"

"Naruto-kun!"

He could see so clearly, the tears in their eyes, the sorrow and joy deep within them. He owed them so much……

"I'm sorry……I'm so sorry……" was all Naruto would say as he once again, felt that familiar fatigue catch up to his body.

"Shh, you're…you're going to be alright!"

"Yeah, come on, you promised us you'd be fine!"

At those words, his heart was torn even further as he remembered how he had did the exact opposite of what he promised………

He couldn't help himself, as much as he told himself that he was not to involve himself with his two best friends, as much as he reminded himself that as long as he was with them, they would get hurt………he couldn't help it.

His tears were running freely as well as he pulled the two of them into a hug, "I missed you guys so much!" He cried as he felt them with him once again. The two girls responded similarly and hung onto him even harder, for to them, it was as if this was all a dream. Never would they have thought that Naruto would speak with them again, much less save them.

"I'm so sorry for not being there! I'm sorry…I'm sorry!" Naruto couldn't stand it any longer. Never had he felt so negative in life before, but now, as he looked over his best friends' injuries, he hated himself for what he did before. He knew that no amount of apologies could possibly heal the wounds in the girls' heart.

Ino bit her lips before she ran her fingers through his soft blond locks and bending her head, she whispered ever so gently into his left ear, "Don't worry……it wasn't your fault……as long as you're here……with us…like you promised……I don't care anymore……"

Sakura grabbed his hand and caught his gaze, "The past doesn't matter, you kept your promise all along……I knew you would come for us……I never doubted you Naruto-kun……"

Their gaze, so soft, so assuring……so comforting……it was like the old times, Naruto would protect them whilst they did all the patching up for him later on. And so, with one last grin, he finally lost consciousness giving in to the fatigue that's been plaguing him for way too long.

Yet the girls heard it clearly, and their hearts soared as he whispered the words, "I'm here to stay……never to leave again……"

* * *

_**Well, well, how's that for a fluff scene? Well, technically, a bit too much gore to be fluffy, but meh, details, who needs them:P**_

_**Now, I need you guys to vote of what team Naruto is on and who should be his sensei. Here are the choices:**_

_**a) Normal Team Seven with Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura**_

_**b) Naruto, Hinata and Ino**_

_**c) Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru**_

_**d) Naruto, Sakura and Ino (P.S. This is the last one because, well, it's a little harder to develop their feelings if they are always together, you know. Less room for development, but I'll accept it)**_

_**Now, Senseis, you name them freely. I don't mind, but I prefer it to be either Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai or Anko. And please, be realistic, don't just say oh I want Jiraiya. Ain't gonna happen. Okay, poll is open for another two chapters, so I look forward to your votes! **_

**_Oh and another thing, do you want me to get on with the manga storyline or add some more filler parts, that are not really fillers, but just well, bridges for the plots? You decide. _**

_**And of course, as usual, any other questions, just review. And if you think that Naruto's way of playing hero all day long was too cliché, too bad, live with it. XD**_


	6. Guardian

_**A/N: Wow, thanks for all the reviews! And as promised, here are the results for the vote! **_

_**NaruSakuIno ------------- 12**_

_**NaruHinaIno -------------- 4**_

_**NaruSakuShika ---------- 5**_

_**Normal Team 7 ---------- 7**_

_**Well, I'll let you guys vote for one more chap. If you want NaruSakuIno in a team, go for it. I have a new idea that might work for them, well, you'll see in this chap……maybe……**_

_**And now, for the senseis!**_

_**Kakashi ------------------ 6**_

_**Anko ---------------------- 13**_

_**Asuma ------------------- 3**_

_**Kurenai ------------------ 2**_

_**As expected, Anko's in the lead. YEAH! Erhem. Right, you've no idea who I wanted to win right………not. **_

_**Oh and finally, we get the names of Naruto's parents! WHOOHOO! Now, I can include them some time in the future…maybe. Hmm…tough call. Oh well, I won't spoil it for those who don't know, but just check out the latest Manga chapter. It's in there. **_

_**So anyways, that aside, let's move on with the story. Enjoy Chapter 6. **_

**_Disclaimer: You lawyers take one more step towards me and dare utter a single word about me owning Naruto, I swear you'll beg to die after I'm through with you…… _**

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 6: Guardian

"I swear Naru-chan, if there's one person that can get himself sent to the hospital _twice_ within such a short period of time……"

"Ok, ok, I get the picture. Can we go now?" mumbled a pouting Naruto as Anko came to fetch him. Apparently, Sakura and Ino's mums came and after seeing him in such a condition, sent him to the hospital immediately. And so, he had to stay for another three days. Hitomi was absolutely furious, she too, like Anko, could not believe what a _knucklehead_ Naruto was.

_Can't you just stop your hero act for one minute and just REST?! How many times must I tell you that? Blah…blah…blah……_

And so on. Naruto was pretty much fighting to stay awake due to her extremely boring and obvious speech……and he had been stupid enough to comment on it, which had led to another lecturing of why he did not do as she said……

Yeah, mothers are scary. Ino and Sakura came to visit him and were overjoyed to seem him all healthy. Ino's mother, Yukiko came with them and thanked him for saving her daughter. It was quite a new experience for Naruto, receiving thanks from someone else. Well, from someone he didn't know more like. She had been very polite and apologized for Sakura's mother absence, Nayuki, and explained that Nayuki had a meeting she needed to attend.

Naruto had given his famous foxy grin and accepted the thanks humbly, before motioning to Ino and Sakura. He sighed and apologized once again, for his stupid actions before, yet he stopped when he found that both girls were hugging him tightly, shaking gently as they sobbed, calling him a baka for being a loner……yeah, Naruto felt really weird at that part……but then, Yukiko had comforted all three of them and after some chatting, they left, leaving the flowers back in his hospital room.

Ever since that day, Anko had teased him non-stop about how he had acquired two 'girl-friends'. He had no idea what that meant and had even laughed at Anko for stating such an obvious fact.

_Of course they're my girlfriends! What are you on about? They are my friends and they are girls? Man, Anko, I know I'm ignorant but come on, that is too easy……_

And Anko had merely stared at him, gaping at his stupidity…or ignorance……depending on which way you look at it. At first, she thought he was joking, but then, she realized that he really thought that the term 'girlfriend' was meant that way, and even though in a way, it was true literally, she had then given him a very thorough explanation on the relationships between a boy and a girl and how a girl can then come to be known as the boy's 'girlfriend'.

Needless to say, poor Naruto had to answer certain questions posted by one blond and one pink-haired girl who were very intent on asking why he was blushing every time they looked at him. _Sigh……that was downright embarrassing…….and to think I was stuttering all along……._

And so, here he was, finally ready to be discharged. Anko was told to bring him directly to the Hokage, and she did, but not before teasing him first. He gritted his teeth, trying to stop himself from snarling at his annoying, 'nee-san' in front of the Hokage. But then, seeing the amused look on the Hokage wasn't much better either……jeez……

"Well, well, Naruto-kun, I do believe you are _very_ intent on becoming Hokage in the future, but still, I'm sure there was no need to……" Sarutobi began, smirking as he said that.

"Ah, okay, okay, I get the picture……" mumbled Naruto grumpily. It wasn't nice being teased……nuh uh……

"Uzumaki Naruto." Sarutobi's whole attitude changed.

Naruto immediately stood at attention, knowing that this was where the Hokage _transforms_ into his business mode, "Hai."

"Due to your assist in capturing a C-rank Hyuga traitor and defeating a B-rank Kumo Missing-nin on your own, I hereby provide you with this scroll, and the bounty on the both of them. Here, it's yours to keep."

Naruto raised an eyebrow……_ok; I'm not going crazy right? He's just gonna give me a scroll…….and some pocket money? Jeez, THANKS……not……_

Apparently, Sarutobi saw his look and chuckled, "Naruto-kun, I suggest you look at the amount before saying anything, and the use of the scroll, I'll tell you in a minute."

Naruto was still pouting as he approached the table, but when he got the check, his eyeballs nearly flew out of their sockets, "GOJUU-GO MAN RYO?! _(Fifty-five thousand ryo, a currency used in ancient Japan)_" His jaw crashed onto the floor, as he stared at that piece of paper in his hand, not believing his eyes……

If not for Sarutobi's experience in hiding once emotions, he would have burst out laughing, maybe even roll on the floor for awhile, BUT, he was the Hokage, and he was basically an old man, and old Hokages _do not_ act like three-year olds, so he merely settled for a slight chuckle as he witnessed Naruto's childish acts.

"SUGOI! _(Amazing!)_ I have NEVER seen so much money in my life!!" he was rambling now. _Holy crap, I knew I was going to get some reward, but THIS, ah……am I fainting……_

What he didn't know was, a certain nine-tailed fox was currently roaring with laughter inside his body……

He suddenly stopped and thought for a moment, before looking at the Hokage, "Ne, Oji-san, Kireki-san wa daijoubu?_ (Is Kireki okay?)_" His face suddenly filled with concern.

Sarutobi gave a gentle smile, "Don't worry, she's fine. She is currently resting back at the Hyuga Manor. Why the sudden question?"

Naruto then sighed, before looking at Sarutobi, "Ne, this money _is_ mine now right? Meaning I can do whatever I want now eh?"

Sarutobi gave a nod, wondering why on earth he was asking this question.

Naruto quickly pocketed the cheque, making sure it's safe, before turning back to the Hokage, "Well, what does this scroll do?"

"Ah, right. Now, Naruto-kun, this is a special scroll. You see, only those who have done the village great honors can possess this scroll. It allows the holder one personal request from the Hokage, and the Hokage would have to do his/her best to help. Of course, it can't be something ridiculous or beyond the power of a Hokage. To put it simply, think of it as a way of proving that I owe you a big favour."

Naruto blinked……he rubbed his ears then blinked again, "You…owe _me_……a favour?"

Sarutobi chuckled at his naïve acts, _ah; the boy still has much to learn. _

He ruffled Naruto's hair gently, "Come now, surely you didn't expect me to take it for granted that a nine-year old should be able to take on a B and C-rank missing Nin? Treat this scroll with respect if you think it is valuable. Come now, are there any other questions?"

Naruto jolted out of his shock, and was just about to ask a question when the door was flung open, and in came the fattest woman……if you can call her a woman……Naruto has ever seen. And she had make-up on her face……too much of it……urgh……it took all Naruto had to not puke right there. The perfume she had on equates to the smell of a skunk……that say anything about her fashion sense?

"Hokage-sama! I demand that you punish that atrocious brat for touching my baby boy! This is outrageous! Look at him, look at his face! His future is ruined!" She yelled whilst tears ran down her face……more like giant waterfalls……

Naruto peered behind her back, only to find a mummified Keigamaru……apparently, her mother deemed it necessary to bandage……yeah……

Raising an eyebrow, he looked at the Hokage, only to find him sighing in exasperation, "Mrs. Chishio, I'm sure I told you yesterday, the day before AND the day before that, now I refuse to repeat it after this. Your son is the one at fault! He dares to bully in this village, he shall face the consequences. Now get out of this office before I have you under arrest!"

The fat woman continued to wail whilst dragging her son out of the room, and just as she passed Naruto, she muttered, "You filthy demon! You just wait……"

Naruto snorted and concentrated, remembering the times he fought in life and death situations……that Ki……got it! And at once, the malicious killing intent was emitted from Naruto, directly at the fat woman, rooting her to the spot. Naruto smirked as he watched the woman began to tremble and started shrieking like a banshee before running out of the office, did I mention she was dragging her son all over the place? As in……literally dragging.

Naruto grinned widely and held back his Ki. Sarutobi finally gave in and laughed to his heart's content. Naruto joined in immediately, glad that he could provide some stress relief for the old man.

"Well, Oji-san, let's get back on track. I have something to ask, it is regarding my taijutsu……"

Sarutobi gave an inward grin, "Oh?"

Naruto scratched his head, then frowned, "Well, it's just that, Tai Chi Juusan Shiki _(Tai Chi Thirteen Styles)_ doesn't really seem like an actual……_style_……I don't know how to say it, but it's as though that it's just a plan to get me into the feel of things, like the essence of Tai Chi and other styles, I don't know what's going on……I mastered the Tentou _(Heaven)_……and chakra capacity and control increased greatly, however, the actual styles……it doesn't really help against enemies……"

Sarutobi gave a sigh of relief, "Ah, good job Naruto-kun. Looks like you figured it out faster than I expected."

Naruto blinked……_huh?_

"Indeed, Tai Chi Juusan Shiki can be viewed as the predecessor of Taijutsu styles. Which styles have you mastered?"

Naruto cupped his chin, "Er……Tora_ (tiger)_, Washi _(Eagle)_, Tsuru _(Crane)_, Ryu_ (Dragon)_, Kujira _(Whale)_, Hebi _(Snake)_. I'm currently working on Shishi _(Lion) _and Saru _(Monkey)_ and I would have finished the scroll. The last four are mere combinations and I've basically understood the concepts."

Sarutobi barely concealed his shock from his face, _who would have known that a nine-year old kid could master the basics in such a short period of time?_

He then said, "Well, then Naruto-kun, I can only say this much, when the time comes to fully reveal those styles, you'll know. For now, concentrate on them over and over, make sure you get them. Good day."

And with that, he ushered Naruto out of his office and left a very confused Naruto in the corridor. He then sighed and turned to the secretary, "Izumi-san, please tell Hokage-jisan that I said thanks. Bye." And with a slight bow, he left, with a smiling Izumi promising to convey the message.

Once Naruto got onto the streets, he went straight to the Hyuga Manor, "Ano, I'm here to visit Kireki-neesan, can I go in?"

The guard seemed to hesitate for a second, before giving him a nod, "I'll take you there. Come along." Naruto noticed the tense expression on his face and couldn't help but wonder what had happened.

Just as they reached outside of Kireki's room, two voices could be heard. The guard merely nodded and told him to wait, and went back to his position. Naruto raised an eyebrow, before identifying the voices to be Hitomi and Kireki's.

"Kire-chan, feeling better lately?" Came Hitomi's gentle voice.

"Ah, Hitomi-nee-chan, stop calling me that! It's embarrassing."

Naruto blinked……_ne-chan……ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!_

"Ah, but I don't see you complaining when _he_ calls you by that."

A sigh was heard, "Ne-chan……how's my injury coming?"

_Injury? Why would she need to ask? Can't she tell by herself?_ Naruto wondered.

And before he could even understand what happened, Hitomi had muttered, "Byakugan!" and once again, Naruto felt that familiar pricking sensation, as the jutsu activated.

"It's healing, gradually…but it is healing. I have to thank _him_ next time he sends these herbs again."

_Who is this 'him'?_

"Now, now Naruto-kun, I know you're out there, come on in."

Naruto gave a small yelp, and entered the room. He grinned awkwardly as he took a seat and immediately said, "I wasn't eavesdropping, I just happened to come here to visit Kireki-ne-san, and the guard told me to wait out here."

Kireki chuckled, "Don't worry Naruto-kun, we're not blaming you."

Naruto scratched his head, "Er……not to be rude or anything, but are you really sisters?"

Hitomi giggled at his expression and nodded, "Yes we are. I'm older than her by eight years."

Naruto's eyes nearly flew out of his sockets……_EIGHT YEARS?! WHOA._

Kireki saw that and laughed, "Yeah, it's a big difference isn't it? But back in those days, it wasn't that big a deal. Anyway, Naruto-kun, what are you here for?"

Naruto quickly took out his cheque and placed it in front of Kireki, and grinned, "Well, I wanted to thank you for protecting me that night. So I figured that you should have this."

Kireki tilted her head, and Naruto suddenly had flashes of a certain female in his memories……He frowned, wondering where on earth that came from……

Kireki took the cheque and smile warmly before motioning for Naruto to come forward. She pulled him in for a gentle embrace and kissed his forehead, "Arigato, Naruto-kun. But I shall not keep this money. No, wait just a moment; I heard from Hokage-sama that you've been studying Tai Chi Juusan Shiki. So how is it going?"

Naruto repeated what he said to Sarutobi and at the end of it; to say Kireki was shocked was an understatement. Even Hitomi looked amazed. "Naruto-kun, do you have any idea how long it normally takes to just learn ONE style?"

Naruto scratched his head, "Er……two days?"

Kireki rolled her eyes, "Try five hundred times that."

Naruto laughed, "Well, I use Kage Bunshin no jutsu to help me, so no worries!"

"Kage Bunshin? Where did you learn this jutsu?"

"Oh, Sandaime-jisan gave me a scroll on it, said it was perfect for me."

Kireki seemed to think for awhile, before looking at Hitomi, "Ne-chan, looks like I can finally start my job once again."

Hitomi immediately frowned, "No. You're still injured! Your chakra system can cut short your lifespan if more accidents like last time occur. I will not allow it." It was incredible. Mistress of the Hyuga Clan……was pouting.

Kireki chuckled lightly, before kneeling in front of Naruto, and closing her eyes, she whispered, "Naruto, do you accept me as a guardian?"

Naruto nearly bolted out of the door at this sentence…_WHAT IS WITH ALL THE SERIOUS THEMES TODAY?!_

"Er……I er……" He looked towards Hitomi, who was just about to interrupt when Kireki said again, "Hitomi, let him think for himself. I want to see if I'm right……Naruto-kun, will you allow me to protect you?"

Naruto immediately answered, "Of course! Why wouldn't I? I would trust you with my life Kireki-ne-san!" His face was determined, his lips puckered together, pouting at the distrust shown by this question.

A smile grew on Kireki's lips before she hugged Naruto and stared into his eyes, cuddling him, "Alright. I, Hyuga Kireki, upon my honour as Konoha's Byakko _(White Tigress)_, hereby fulfill my oath nine years ago."

She then motioned for Naruto to lift up his shirt and show his seal. Naruto did as he was told, unsure of what the hell was going on, and all of a sudden, Kireki bit her finger and using the blood, she wrote the letter _Shiro _(White) on the left side of the seal and muttered, "Tennyo Fuin: Kai! _(Celestial Maiden Seal: Release!)_"

Instantly, Naruto felt that his chakra flow soothingly throughout all his tenketsus once, from his head to his toes, and it felt really comfortable. All his muscles were relaxing and his chakra capacity felt a little larger.

Kireki then began coughing right after she finished the ritual, and Naruto quickly patted her on the back, trying to make her feel better. Hitomi sighed and muttered, "Shosen no jutsu _(Mystical Palm technique)_" and placed her glowing hand on Kireki's back, "Naruto, stand back for awhile. Go grab a bucket, hurry!"

Naruto quickly nodded and rushed off to find one.

Kireki continued coughing, though she seemed better by the second, "Go-go-gomen ne, Ne-chan……demo _(but)_……"

Hitomi sighed, "I know, I know, this is something you have to do……sigh……you…really miss him don't you……baka imouto _(Stupid younger sister)_"

She concentrated and just at that moment, Naruto brought in the bucket, and Kireki coughed out the blood clot within her circulatory system. She then focused chakra onto her forefingers and jabbed several tenketsus around her heart, before finally regaining the usual pulse.

"Arigato. Now, Naruto-kun, I need you to come with me and see Hokage-sama."

Naruto thought Hitomi was going to freak out at her decision but it turns out that Hitomi agreed with her. She activated her byakugan once more to check for any other major problems, before nodding, "Now, don't push yourself. You're not as strong physically as you were before; you know that better than anyone else."

Kireki gave a hesitant nod, before holding Naruto's hand and just before she disappeared with Shunshin no jutsu, she heard Hitomi whisper, "But your heart is stronger than ever……"

And that brought a smile to her face. And of course, Naruto still had no idea what was going on."

* * *

_**At the Hokage's Office……**_

"Hokage-sama, Hyuga Kireki and Naruto are here to see you." Izumi called through the door.

Sarutobi sighed, muttering stuff about crap timing and how he was just going to go home and enjoy some Icha Icha Paradise……

Izumi's eye twitched and replied in a deadly quiet tone, "I'll take that as a yes?"

If there was one thing a Hokage should be afraid of, that would have to be an angry woman. And Sarutobi had a very good idea what had been the cause of such anger. _Ah, the downfalls to being a pervert……not that I am one…Erhem……_ "Please send them in Izumi. My apologies."

Izumi huffed and went out of the door, leaving a fairly relieved Sandaime in the room. And sure enough, a minute later, in came Kireki and Naruto.

"Ah, to what do I owe the pleasure Kireki-san?"

Kireki merely smiled and said, "He's ready. I've already removed the Tennyo Fuin."

Sarutobi's eyes widened, "Already? But surely, I thought you were at least going to give Naruto more time to mature……"

Kireki shook his head, "I'm sure _he_ would've agreed with me. Naruto, with the help of Kage Bunshin, has been more than ready. You should know that Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi sighed, "Yes, I know. But I really didn't think that you should teach him. After all, the poison had caused extreme damage to your chakra system and _he_ specifically told me to watch over you whilst he was away. You know how he feels. That kid just keeps blaming himself."

Kireki looked out of the window, "I know……but I've made up my mind. Hokage-sama……"

Naruto had enough of this random conversation and asked, "What are you talking about? What happened? What is this Ten…seal thingy?"

Sarutobi nodded before motioning for the two to take a seat, "Years ago, on the night of sealing Kyuubi, four hidden seals were added to the Shisho Fuin _(Four Symbols seal) _and the Hakke Fuin _(Eight Trigrams),_ that is the Shitenrai Fuin _(Four Divine Seal)_. What Kireki had just released, is the seal designated to her. She is the west protector of the Hi no Kuni _(Fire Country)_, Byakko. So, the hidden seal on the left can only be removed by her. It was set by Minato to make sure you allow yourself to get used to the fox's chakra before utilizing your chakra to its fullest potential."

He took in a deep breath and continued, "There were four people who had outstanding leadership and abilities that allowed them to be known as the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_, and they took up their positions as protectors of Hi no Kuni. Kireki is one of them, as you already know, and she is known for her outstanding taijutsu on the battlefield, her ferocity and precision in her attacks makes her a deadly opponent, however……a few years ago, she had an……unexpected injury and so, she has been technically crippled all these years."

Kireki blushed, "I'm not that great Hokage-sama."

"Ah, but it's the truth. Now, the other three protectors and Kireki were there beside the Yondaime when they fought against the Kyuubi, and so, Minato had asked, as a brother, for them to accept this infant as one of their own, and train him to become one of the best, and use the Yokai's chikara _(Monster's Strength)_ for the greater good. And therefore, the Shitenrai Fuin was added. Now, Naruto-kun, I assume you accepted Kireki as your guardian?"

Naruto still looked confused, but nodded all the same. "I treat her as my ne-chan! Not my guardian!"

Kireki blushed even harder, but couldn't help but feel happy at the same time.

Sarutobi chuckled, "Of course, now, from today onwards, Kireki will be staying with you. She shall have her position back, and the Seal on her forehead shall be removed. She is now undergoing an S-rank mission as Konoha's Byakko, and you'll be receiving personal trainings from her. Do not let her down Naruto; for you still have three other protectors to meet and to be able to pass their tests, you have to work hard. Do you understand?"

Naruto stood silent for a moment, before his grin widened and a light laughter was heard, "Oi, Ji-san, who do you think you're talking to?" His eyes shone with joy and determination, his face was set, "I'm going to be future Hokage and I'll never give up! From now on, I swear to never go back on my words, that is my nindo! Believe it!"

Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction and motioned for Naruto go first as he needed to speak with Kireki, who did so quickly, but not before giving Kireki a big hug, thanking her.

He then dashed off to the Hyuga Manor, wanting to tell Hitomi of the good news as soon as he can.

Kireki stepped forward, "Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi took a puff on his pipe, before laughing, "He reminds me of Minato……vibrant and full of energy. A genius in his own right……"

Kireki chuckled, "Indeed. He is very energetic. But he has untapped potential."

"Haha, your leader would have laughed at me saying the term 'genius', won't he?"

Kireki's eyes softened, and whispered, "Yeah."

Sarutobi nodded, "He always believed that the term 'Tensai' _(Prodigy)_ stands for 'a baka from heaven'. That kid, he works hard, harder than anyone I've ever known, yet he trains smart. He'll be fine."

Kireki bit her lips, "I hope so."

"Haha, Konoha's Seiryu won't be beaten that easily. He's coming back in three years."

Kireki's head shot up, "Really?"

Sarutobi nodded, "And he wants me to tell you not to worry about him. He says it's bad for your health. I have to say that I agree."

Kireki blushed a bright crimson at that statement, "That baka……"

"One last thing, Kireki, look after yourself, don't train the kid too much that you can't take it. I don't want you to get injured all over again."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Very well, dismissed."

And with that Kireki left, but as she stepped out onto the streets, she couldn't help but stare at the moon, _Where are you……Ryusei? _

* * *

_**Well, well, didn't see THAT coming did ya? Haha, yes, the protectors are OCs, and I intend to use them in my other future stories. I gonna make another fic in the November Holidays called, "I Can Fly." But pairings will be NaruHarem, OcHarem, as in OC will get the older women. So look out for that one. I have three months of holidays so I reckon I could use it pretty well.**_

_**Now, for the team voting, you can still vote. I'll close the poll by this chap, so the final results will be shown next chap. Look forward to it! **_

_**As usual, any questions, just review. Main storyline shall begin next chap. Look forward to it. Sorry about this late update. I had exams for three days in a row, and I just recovered. Thanks once again for all the support you guys have shown. You're the best! **_

_**Oh and regarding the OCs, more will be revealed, but if you have a question, PM me or review. Thanks! XD Hope you liked it. **_


	7. Prankster

_**A/N: Guys, guys, I hate to say this, but honestly the no. of reviews are pretty disappointing. I mean, I have over 100 alerts, and only ten or so people review. Those that reviewed have my extreme thanks, and those that added this story to their C2s as well. But honestly, it doesn't take too long to review does it? Jesus and they say I'm lazy. **_

_**Anyways, now, back to the story, the OCs will play a bigger role later on, but for now, just bear with me. More NaruSaku and NaruIno moments will come, I promise. Now, if any of you spot mistakes in my Japanese, feel free to correct them, they are translated from a website anyway. **_

_**The poll is closed! Winners are:**_

_**Team 9, Naruto, Sakura, Ino. Jounin Sensei: Anko. XD**_

_**Oh and before I forget, they are all 12 now. **_

_**For now, just relax and enjoy Chapter 7. XD**_

**_Disclaimer: Not in the mood, you guys think of something…… _**

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 7: Prankster

"NARUTO!" Yelled a certain _very_ pissed off Chuunin-sensei.

"Zzzzzz……" was the only sound available from a certain sleeping blond-haired boy.

"Grrrr……STOP SLEEPING AND GET YOUR BUTT WORKING!" roared Iruka.

"Hm……zzzzzzz……"

Oh ho, to say Iruka was pissed was an understatement. He had tried all sorts of 'nice' ways of waking Naruto up, alas, not even using a microphone and aiming it right at Naruto's ear did the job, so now, he had to resort to the old-fashioned 'evil' ways……namely……

"TAKE THAT!" _**SPLASH!**_

"GAH! WHAT THE HELL IRUKA-SENSEI?!" snarled a very wet Naruto…not to mention cold as well. _The nerve of him……it's not my fault his classes are so boring……_

Suddenly, the whole class that was laughing just seconds ago turned deathly quiet. Naruto blinked, before looking up at Iruka once again, only to find his face red with fury, his veins popping out from every where possible in his neck and face, his fists clenching so tight that they were turning white, his teeth were gritting, his eyes were glaring with such an intensity that even enemy nins would have been killed.

Naruto gulped, before giving an awkward grin, "Ah ha, er……I didn't say that loud did I?"

_**SMASH!**_ "YOU'RE DEAD!" roared Iruka as he smashed his fist on the desk, where Naruto's head was a second ago.

"Oops, my bad, gotta go!" And with that, once again, the blond took off, with Iruka chasing after him. The rest of the class burst out in laughter at the scene before them. One would think that they could get used to this if it happened every day……well, they are sadly mistaken, for this has happened for the past two years, _every_ single day, and still, nobody could deny the laughter it brought to the class. Even Shino, the ever so quiet Aburame was chuckling.

Ino and Sakura were having the time of their lives laughing at the pranks played by Naruto. They had become the best of friends once again after that incident, and even got the chance to train with Kireki to increase their chakra control and capacities. Of course, they _did_ train _once_ with Anko……if you could call that training……Naruto had to piggyback them home, seeing how they were totally unconscious by the end of the intensive tortur……_training_.

And to say Haruno Nayuki and Yamanaka Yukiko were angry would seriously be the understatement of the century. Especially Nayuki, to Naruto, she was always so kind and gentle, oh boy, but when she let out her _inner self_, dubbed, "Inner Nayuki"……it was WAY too scary. Naruto had to reassure her that this sort of stuff won't ever happen again to calm her down……funny thing was, Anko never knew this happened.

Yukiko on the other hand raised an eyebrow as she heard her daughter tell her about how she would get stronger this way and stuff like that, and finally gave in. And so, they trained mainly with Kireki, who was more than happy to help.

Both of them thoroughly enjoyed the times they spent with Naruto, and when they entered the academy, for the first year, they were separated, leaving Sakura with Ino and Naruto by himself along with some others like Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji and Aburame Shino. And so, it led to this other event……

_**Flashback……**_

"_Hey look! It's that girl with the big forehead!"_

"_Yeah, sooooo ugly. Can you believe it?" _

"_Hmph, and she thinks she's sooo pretty. Get her!" _

_Ami and her gang began to surround Sakura, only to find her scowling, "Would you girls move? I'm waiting for Ino!" _

_Ami looked stunned, but regained her posture immediately, she smirked, "Who? That pony-tailed blondie? My, my, lousy looks, lousy friends……"_

_Sakura's eyes narrowed, "You don't want to finish that sentence."_

_Ami's smirk widened, "Oh, and what are you going to do? Cry? HA! That Yamanaka has NOTHING. I'm the queen here. No one messes with me! Hmph, and I heard you even befriend that blond demon……." _

_**SMASH!**__ A fist lodged itself firmly in her face, sending her onto the ground. _

_Another came and gave her an uppercut, almost breaking her jaw……almost. _

_Ino landed gracefully and hi-fived Sakura, "Thanks!" _

"_No problem, now I see we have some unfinished business." Sakura smirked evilly._

_Ino grinned, "Yep. They dare badmouth Naruto eh……"_

_And it turned into a huge fight at the playground that day. Sakura and Ino emerged victorious, but not before getting scolded (I.e. yelled at with Iruka with big-scary head jutsu on) They were pouting all along, and when Iruka finally finished lecturing them on the negative aspects of beating classmates up, he asked them why. _

_To say he was surprised by their answer could be reasonable……_

"_They were insulting Naru-kun!"_

"_Yeah, and Ino too!" _

_Iruka's jaw dropped. Whoa. Naruto got not one, but TWO girls to support him……the kid's got class……no, no, no, what was he thinking?! Naruto's way too young! And so, he dismissed the two of them and went to have a talk with Naruto. _

_**Flashback end……**_

Sakura giggled at that memory and looked at Ino, only to find she was smiling as well. It was obvious they were both remembering what had happened. Poor Naruto was eating ramen, only to get yelled at by a very nervous and anxious Iruka, warning him about the dangers of premature relationships and how taking advantage of girls was a very unmanly thing to do and stuff like that.

He got so confused that he had run off to Kireki, asking her about all the stuff Iruka said. The next day, a very red-faced Kireki had gone to _visit_ Iruka. He was sent to the hospital for a week after she was done with him. _Sigh……those were the good days……_

And the funny thing is, even though Sakura and Ino are sure that Naruto _knows_ all the stuff they had been studying in class, he was somehow, the 'dobe' in class, in terms of test results. But outside of class, everyone knew he was one of the smartest guys out there and his happy-go-lucky attitude made it very easy for others to be friends with him.

Here's the thing, Naruto can answer ANY question Iruka throws at him, however, his test results were never higher than fifty percent. In fact, it was _always_ fifty percent. Every single test. Not once did it go below, not once did it go on top. It was amazing, yet ridiculous at the same time. What was the chance of that happening? Apparently a very high chance, seeing Iruka was getting really, really frustrated at Naruto's lack of interest in his classes.

"Yo! I'm back! Iruka-sensei has just given us the rest of the day free!" yelled a grinning Naruto as he dashed back into the class, followed by a very tired Iruka.

"NO I DIDN'T!" yelled Iruka as the whole class once again started laughing. Just then, the bell signaling the end of the day rang and everyone cheered.

Naruto grinned smugly at Iruka, giving him the _'I told you' _look. Iruka sighed as he shook his head in exasperation. "Alright, fine, be gone……" mumbled Iruka as the rest of the students rushed off to meet their parents.

Naruto bid goodbye to Hinata and told Sakura and Ino to wait for him a little, before going over to Iruka, "Ne, Sensei, sorry for all the trouble, but you've got to admit, this is WAY more fun!" His grin must be a disease, it's SOOOO contagious that even Iruka found it difficult to suppress a smile.

Iruka then became all serious, "Naruto, the Genin exams are two days away, at least TRY and pay attention."

Naruto grinned and wagged his finger at Iruka, "Ah, well, that depends on you then Iruka-sensei; we don't want you hindering out education now do we?" The mischievous glint in his eyes said it all.

Iruka merely bopped him on the head and shooed him out of the classroom, not wanting to have any more headaches for the rest of the day. Naruto quickly walked out of the academy, not wanting to let the 'ladies' wait too long. He had promised Yukiko and Nayuki-san that he would walk Ino and Sakura home everyday after school, seeing how he was free anyway.

"Naru-kun! Finally, I thought you were just going to stay there and continuously prank the teachers." Teased Ino as she latched herself onto Naruto's back, just like old times. She would laze around as Naruto piggy-backed her, that has always been the case, and Ino loved it. Naruto started it, saying how Ino always seemed so tired after school, and so, he had volunteered to help.

Sakura giggled at the exasperated expression on Naruto's face as Ino ruffled his hair. They both knew how much he disliked that action. He kept saying it was weird having someone feeling around in your hair. Ino had more than enough stamina after training with Naruto and Kireki, however, she just enjoyed the ride. Naruto knew that as well, but still let her have some fun.

Sakura walked beside them, chatting on about the latest theories in academy and how she might be able to use them in her jutsus. It has always been known that Sakura was the smart one 'off' battle. She can invent new ways to direct her chakra that could save her wastage by one or two percent. She was remarkable in finding faults and creating new ways to overcome them.

Naruto always had to thank her profusely for helping his chakra control improve, and she had always hit him lightly on the head, pouting as though Naruto had done something to annoy her. She had repeatedly told him, this was what friends did to help one another. Naruto had cheekily replied that since he was _best_ friends with Sakura and Ino, he _could_ thank them over and over without getting '_punished'_. Sakura merely giggled at that whilst Ino had ruffled his hair, calling him a 'good boy'.

"Say, are you guys ready for the Genin exam?" Sakura asked.

"Eh? Of course we are! Sakura, what made you ask that?" Ino grinned, eyes gazing towards Naruto, who was currently ignoring her for ruffling his hair.

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Ino, you know what I mean. We're _all_ ready, BUT, _someone_ seems to be lacking a bit of……_motivation_."

Naruto sighed and grumbled, "Right, right, I'll focus. I'll pass. Happy?"

Ino squealed with joy and hugged him from behind……well…more like head-locked him……on purpose or not, we don't know.

"Alright, alright, cut that out. But I really can't be bothered. Besides, even if we pass, we might have to leave each other! I don't like it……" Naruto grumbled.

Ino teased, "Oh, you just _love_ our company don't you Naru-kun?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Ya think?"

Ino pouted and punched his back lightly, "Hey! That's not very nice!"

Naruto shook his head and looked at Sakura, who was happily looking the other way, purposely evading Naruto's plea for help.

"Sigh……you two are going to be the death of me." Both girls just giggled at his defeated tone and once again, laughter filled the air as they chatted on other things.

Soon, they arrived at Sakura's house and so, Naruto and Ino bid her goodbye and continued on.

"Ne, Ino……" Naruto whispered.

"Hm……"

"We're arriving."

"Aww……just a while longer." Mumbled Ino, who was half asleep on Naruto's back.

It just felt so comfortable. Naruto was always the gentleman, doing his best to make sure the girls get the most out of his actions. If he wants to make you happy, you won't just be happy by the end of whatever he does, you'll feel the sincerity offered by his actions and the joy he felt for having such a friend. It's a mixture of feelings, and very hard to pinpoint what it exactly is.

Nonetheless, Ino really enjoyed these moments with Naruto, for she would just lay on his shoulders, feeling his heartbeat close to hers, almost in unison. It felt warm, soothing, and the way he treats her like a princess is just a bonus. She really appreciates his presence. Like that time, when Ino had gotten a cut from accidentally brushing her hand across a thorn on a rose, he had stayed by her side the whole time, bandaging her finger carefully, and had blown on it for ages until he made sure that the pain was no longer there.

That was when they were six. And always, Ino found ways to thank him, like preparing bento _(lunch boxes) _for him and Sakura, yet his would be a little bit more special, either the design or ingredients. Sakura had always mock-complained about how Naruto gets the most or the best stuff. And Naruto would laugh and split it between the three of them, getting a kiss on the cheek from them both. It just seemed so natural; they were like brother and sisters together.

However, a part of her always nagged at her to not think of it that way, but she mostly ignored it.

"Come now Ino. Time to go."

Ino groaned as she slid off Naruto's back and steadied herself before pouting at Naruto, only to find him giving her a short tap on her forehead. Immediately, a small stream of chakra flew into her body through the tenketsu _(Pressure points)_ and she was wide awake straight away.

Naruto chuckled, "Now, run along, I've gotta go. See ya." And with that, he ran off, waving back every now and then.

Ino sighed and muttered, "Baka……"

"Oh, and who may I ask caused my daughter to sigh with such extreme frustration?"

"Tou-san! _(Father)_ Don't scare me like that!" Ino glared at Inoichi, who was currently laughing at the look on his daughter's face.

"What's going on out here?" Yukiko came out, and bopped Inoichi on the head, "You're an adult, so fooling around! Come on, dinner's ready, Ino-chan, hayaku! _(Hurry up)_"

Ino huffed and rushed into the house, but not before slamming the door to her room, clearly angry.

Inoichi chuckled as he told Yukiko what he saw. At the end of it, Yukiko almost squealed after hearing how Naruto and Ino were so close. She had always liked the boy, and Inoichi too was very impressed with his determination and perseverance in real life. The couple talked about it some more, before going back in to _persuade _their daughter to come down to dinner. After all, when it comes to dealing with children, parents have their ways……

* * *

_**With Naruto……**_

"Yo, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba! Whatcha up to?"

"Mendokuse _(I swear if you ask me what this means……)_, Naruto do you always have to be so loud?" mumbled a certain Nara as he laid the next move on the Shogi board. Choji was merely munching on chips as he waved hello to Naruto. Kiba appeared to be deep in thought and yelped in surprise, therefore placing the piece on the wrong space.

"NOOOOOOOO……NARUTO! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" yelled Kiba as he cried mock-tears at losing the _hard-fought_ battle.

Shikamaru placed a finger in his ear, trying to see if his ear drums had burst, before replying, "Oh, come on Kiba, you've only made ten moves anyway, doesn't matter. Come Naruto, you could give me a good game."

Naruto grinned as he patted Kiba on the back, consoling him as he wept to Akamaru about how he was so close to victory. "Hey, Shino! Come on, don't just stand there! How many times do we have to remind you, just come and have fun! You don't have to be _that_ formal!" laughed Naruto as Shino emerged from the shadows.

"……I have no idea what you're talking about Naruto."

"Me neither, but hey, that was pretty deep."

Everyone sweat-dropped at Naruto's lame remark, but dismissed it as Naruto began his game with Shikamaru. It was always quite intense, seeing how the score was almost always tied, right now; it was 34-33, in favour of Shikamaru.

Naruto had found Shogi and Go to be very relaxing in some ways. True, it's quite hard to think of multiple strategies on the spot, but, it allows the body to take a break from the physical stress, and let the mind do some work. Shikamaru and Naruto made it a point to at least play one game a day, that way, both can stay sharp at all times.

"Alright! Now it's 34 all. Say, Shikamaru, gomen, but I really have to run. See ya guys tomorrow!" Naruto grinned as he quickly ran off.

There was silence in the background……before Kiba spoke up, "That guy. He just doesn't want to lose once he's won, right?"

Shino gave a nod, "Indeed, that seems to be the case."

Shikamaru merely sighed, "Mendokuse."

Choji laughed, "Demo, Shikamaru, that was a good move wasn't it?"

Shikamaru smirked, "Forcing my queen to protect the king, before backing me into a corner, nice tactic. That guy just keeps coming up with new stuff……"

Kiba snorted, "Well, what did you expect? He _is_ Konoha's number one surprising ninja. He should've been this year's best rookie, but maybe hanging around you has its downsides as well."

Shikamaru chuckled, "It does seem so eh? Mendo no baka. _(Troublesome Dumbass)_"

* * *

_**With Naruto again……**_

"Kireki-ne-chan! I'm home!"

"Welcome back. Dinner's ready, so how's the game with Shikamaru?"

"I won! It's a tie once again!"

"And you left after you won that round right?"

"What? I just didn't want my beloved ne-chan to wait too long."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sooooo grateful."

Kireki moved out of the Hyuga Manor after that night, and along with Naruto, she moved into another apartment, slightly bigger than Naruto's original one. But this time, she was there to make sure that Naruto had a much better life than before. She really did care for him as a big sister. It was like having a blob of energy alongside you, spicing up your life everyday.

Some villagers had found it weird that a Hyuga was with the _demon _of the village, and had thought Kireki was _hypnotized_. She sent them straight to the hospital when they tried to _save_ her from the _monstrous_ demon. Pathetic beings. Well, like her best friend always said, when you're dumb, you're dumb; nothing you do can change that. _**A/N: More will be elaborated about this comment in later chapters**_

Kireki had supervised Naruto's training and made sure he mastered all of the styles within Tai Chi Juusan Shiki. She taught Naruto the lengthened version of the Tsuru style, Ryuudou Gensou Ken _(Flowing Illusions Fist)_, involves the basis and positions of eight divinations and the five elements of Nature. It focuses on fluidity, speed, agility and flexibility. Naruto got it down quickly, but have complained that it somewhat goes against his style.

Kireki can see it as well. Naruto is more of a brawler, even though he would think before going in, he prefers to combine speed with strength. He likes to fight his opponents right on, not wanting to beat around the bush. And that totally defies the point of using Ryuudou Gensou Ken. This style is the final stage of the combined styles of Hebi, Saru and Tsuru. It allows the user to wait for openings and use the opponents' power against themselves.

Kireki could only chuckle as she saw his evident disappointment in not being able to show off his extreme power, but cheered up when he realized his speed and agility would increase by heaps. And so, he has now practically learnt the style, and so, it's up to him to perfect it.

To be honest, Kireki knew the perfect style to fit Naruto's needs. Ryusei's taijutsu could be described as Naruto's _dream_ style. Speed, precision, strength and power. That's all you need. No techniques are wasted; all strikes must be accurate and straight to the point. That taijutsu is one of the reasons why Ryusei was the leader of the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_ of Hi no Kuni.

_But, guess it'll all have to come down to the kid's luck. _Thought Kireki as she watched the boy rush through dinner. She knew he wanted to train more, and she complied, acting as his sparring partner. Naruto had actually been a very sharp kid. He had often asked her why she kept spacing off at times during training.

And so she had told him about a certain aqua-haired brat acted the same way he did when he was ten. They were quite similar, and Kireki couldn't help but feel amused.

"Ne-chan? Can we start?"

"Ah, of course, sorry. Now, Naruto, I will not be holding back this time. I want you to impress me this time. Release the gravity seals; if you can land a strike on me, then you've successfully learnt this style. The rest is for you to master. Now, come!"

Naruto knew what she was testing. Ryuudou Gensou ken, no matter what, _if_ you actually learnt the entire style, you would _definitely_ be able to land a hit during a fight. No matter what happens, regardless of the strength in the fight, if you are able to go with the flow, seeking out the weakness of your opponent, then, you've truly understood the style.

And so Naruto charged, his eyes blazing with determination, ready to take up another challenge. If there's one thing about Uzumaki Naruto everybody knows, it'll be the fact that he never backs down from a challenge……_ever_.

* * *

_**Okay, that's that. Phew. Took quite awhile. This is sort of a filler chap, just to link it up with the Genin exams next chap. Hope you guys look forward to it as much as I do. XD**_

_**As usual, any questions just PM me. Please don't complain if I'm favoring Ino and Naruto too much, Sakura's moments will come. Trust me on this. Well then, see ya! **_


	8. Duties

_**A/N: Woah, looks like you guys were pretty satisfied with the filler chap. Glad that you guys liked it. Now, finally, the first 'big' event: GENIN EXAMS! XD **_

_**Enjoy it, because that's all I can do for you guys. **_

**_Disclaimer: I swear, if I owned Naruto, I would pair him up with every single main female character in the manga. Why? Because ALL of them are possible, one way or another. _**

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 8: Duties

Today's the day. The big day, the absolutely fascinating day that every single academy student was waiting for, the day for the Genin exams! Everyone was excited, make no doubt about that. But as we all know, excitement can lead to lack of sleep at night, and it can also lead to people oversleeping. The best example would be a certain blond-haired kid snoring lightly in his bed, even when the clock showed nine o'clock in the morning……

"Zzzzzzz……"

It doesn't help that Kireki was at the Hokage's office, reporting on Naruto's recent achievements in minor missions with her.

"Zzzzzzz……"

He had trained himself to the limit last night, going over the basics of chakra control once again. He had found out a way to fully utilize Bunshin no jutsu, and he was going to make sure he did it right.

"Zzzzzzz……"

Kireki left at seven……meaning……

"NARUTO!"

"Nani? Nani, nani, nani?" Naruto sprung up from the bed, twisting his head left and right, trying to find the cause of such an uproar. And he found it, standing right in front of him, was an exasperated Kireki.

"Naruto, how many times must I tell you? NEVER train the day before an important mission. You rest and make sure you stay alive……and awake, not go train yourself to death and miss the mission!" said Kireki as she gently smacked him on the head.

"Urgh……ne, Kireki-ne-chan, what time is it?" He gave a big yawn as he got off his bed, trying to blink his sleepiness away.

Kireki sighed, "Nine."

Naruto blinked. He stuck his pinky in his ear and cleared off some earwax, "What time was it?"

Kireki clenched her fists, "NINE."

Naruto yawned again, "Great! It's only nine p.m.! Now I get to sleep more……"

"IT'S NINE AM YOU LAZY BUM!"

Almost half of Konoha heard the shrewd desperate cry that erupted from a certain apartment. "NANI?!"

* * *

_**At the academy……**_

Sakura was tapping her foot; Ino was trying her best to decide whether she should kill Naruto quickly or give him a slow painful death. He was late. One hour late. Yeah. And they were about to get to the bottom of the list of names of students taking this exam. They were currently on Sasuke……as in UCHIHA Sasuke……

Unlike other girls, right now, the name Uchiha actually meant quite a lot. See, where other girls would magically make all their "Uchiha" fan-girl merchandise appear out of nowhere straight away, Sakura and Ino knew that the word held _so_ much more meaning.

The name after Uchiha……happens to be……Uzumaki……and there is only ONE Uzumaki in this whole class……and he is late……meaning he'll miss the exam……as in he'll lose the chance to become a genin……with them……

Yeah, that would probably be the reason why both girls had an aura that screamed, _DEATH_, and indeed, even Sasuke felt a little……terrified at the sight of Sakura cracking her knuckles and Ino fingering her kunai……yeah……not the most reassuring scene.

Iruka sighed as he came to the next name. _Uzumaki Naruto_……and here he was contemplating whether he should skip it and let others do it first, but he saw the glee in Mizuki's eyes and knew there was no way he could pull it off. Therefore, sighing, Iruka called out, "Up next, Uzumaki Naruto. Please enter the room for your genin exam."

Silence……well, not exactly, the shivering of bodies due to the intensified _death_ aura of the two girls did cause _some_ noise……

"Calling again! Uzumaki Naruto! Please make your way into the exam room."

Akamaru was whimpering within Kiba's jacket, trying to get his owner to stay as far away from the girls as possible. Kiba however had been dumb enough to ignore it, "What Akamaru? They aren't that scary! Hmph, maybe that blonde idiot might even fail……oh shit……"

Indeed, what would you do when you had just pissed off two already angered females? Kiba did the most sensible thing………

He ran like girl……

And he got caught seeing how the other two ran faster……

And the scene wasn't pretty……

"Uzumaki Naruto, last chance to get into the exam room!"

Kiba's cries slowly got louder as the two began to _seriously_ vent their frustrations on the unlucky dude who had been dumb enough to test their patience.

Mizuki smirked, "Alright, then, Uzumaki Naruto, due to his inability to……"

"TO BE LATE, AND THEREFORE, HERE I AM!!! SO WAIT THE HELL UP!" yelled a certain blond as he charged into the class via the window and landed on to the floor, skidding to a halt right in front of Sakura and Ino……and the figure that used to be Kiba.

"NARU-KUN!" Ino latched herself onto him straight away, whilst Sakura took the opportunity to give him a hug……or a head-lock, depending on which way you see it. Naruto can't tell, he's seeing stars at the moment.

"Sa-sakura…chan……air……"

"Oh, _ooops_, I _didn't_ do that on purpose." Sakura smirked deviously.

Ino grinned, "Oh sure, we DIDN'T."

Naruto sighed, before giving them his foxy grin, "Sorry for worrying you guys, but I'm here, and I'll be damned if I let you down. Cheer for me!" And with that, he walked into the exam room, with a somewhat angry Mizuki.

The girls shook their heads in exasperation. Their gift to Naruto had been quite unique, Ino bopped him on the head, Sakura shook her head before giving him a small kiss on the cheek, and they had both smiled and wished him the best of luck.

Kiba was crying by now. It just isn't fair. He was manlier, he was stronger, and he was more handsome……so why was he being treated like this?! Naruto was the cause of their anger, yet, here he was, being beaten within an inch of his life, yet Naruto was let off with a simple head-lock, a bop on the head, _and a kiss???!!! _Life sucks……

Shikamaru laughed as did the whole class, whereas Sasuke just muttered, "Dobe" under his breath. Shino chuckled, as did Hinata before she quickly went over to Sakura and Ino and began to chat like they always do. They had become very good friends, with Sakura and Ino acting as big sisters to Hanabi as well. They had "fallen in love" with the girl, or so Naruto said, when they met Hanabi.

She was sooooo cute. Hinata chuckled at the memory. Hanabi was glomped over and over. But still, she liked Naruto-ni-chan the best, and Naruto knew it. He deserved it really; Naruto had protected Hanabi ever since she was allowed to go for walks out of the manor. He was sort of the overprotective big brother.

Now, Konohamaru was Naruto's friend, and sort of a younger brother. And no matter what pranks he pulled, Naruto wouldn't mind……but when that prank seems to involve a certain brunette with white eyes……namely Hyuga Hanabi……oh boy, Konohamaru was scared out of his mind. He had NEVER seen Naruto that angry. Well, granted, he had rarely seen Naruto angry, but hey, just a description.

Anyways, he had thought Naruto would find it funny if the little girl _somehow_ tripped and fell. So he did some stuff and yeah. Naruto had smacked him hard on the head and roared on about how he had the guts to bully his baby sister.

Konohamaru almost wanted to wring her neck when she saw the devious smile she had on her face. Keyword…almost. She was so cute that Konohamaru forgave her in a second. Naruto didn't though. That proved to be a problem.

For awhile, every time Konohamaru met Hanabi, he would rub his head subconsciously. Wonder why……

Sakura and Ino had a lot of cat whistles and stuff coming to them for a long while. It's undeniable. They _are_ the two "prettiest" girls in the academy. Sakura was a very diligent student, not to mention that she was extremely polite and friendly. The teachers love her and of course, the whole class loves her. Why? She bumps their average up by at least five percent every test. Now that's saying something.

Ino was known to be the gentle caring type (_Though Naruto had begged to differ……and got smashed into a wall……_) seeing how her hands were able to assist the growth of any flower in Konoha. Her smile was……cute…it's neither a sexy leer like Anko, nor a beautiful, genuine smile like Sakura. Just……mischievously cute. Naruto knew what that smile meant more than anyone else. It was Ino's signature smile for _"If you play nice, I'll love you. If you don't……"_ And we leave it there.

So you see, there's a reason why no one makes a comment about the kisses given to Naruto. More like no one dares to make one. Besides, it's a pretty common scene anyway; everyone just treated this as a means of friendship. Sure, the rest of the fan girls don't care about what happens to Naruto, but hey, the "smart" boys from other classes do. Many had tried to "win" the hand of the two girls……by challenging Naruto. Sadly, none "survived". They were utterly humiliated by Naruto who had no idea what was going on.

It sort of went like this……

"_UZUMAKI! I HEREBY CHALLENGE YOU FOR THE LOVE OF THAT BEAUTIFUL CHERRY BLOSSOM!" _

_Naruto sweat-dropped. "Er……ok…er…so…what exactly is this about?" _

"_WHY WHAT A YOUTHFUL QUESTION! I SHALL FIGHT FOR THE LOVE OF MY LIFE! SAKURA-SAN!" _

"………_Huh?"_

"_OOOH! SUCH A COOL RESPONSE! AS EXPECTED FROM SOMEONE SO CLOSE TO SAKURA-SAN!" _

"…………_Okay, not understanding what the hell you're talking about, but it seems as though you are getting the wrong idea." _

"_NOOO, IMPOSSIBLE! ARE YOU DENYING ME THE HONOR OF FIGHTING FOR MY LOVE?!"_

"_SHUT UP! SAKURA-CHAN IS NOT AN OBJECT!"_

_At that, the boy stopped. His eyebrows raised in confusion. _

_Naruto took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing, "I don't know what your intentions are with Sakura, or what this 'love' thing you keep calling is about, but I warn you now……"_

_He took a step forward and cracked his knuckles, "You dare treat Sakura as an object merely to serve your existence, and I'll beat you up so bad that you'll never become a ninja! HOW DARE YOU EVEN INSINUATE SUCH A THING?!" _

_The boy's mouth dropped open, he gaped for awhile, before bowing to Naruto, "I understand. My apologies. I have been beaten and totally overthrown by your youthfulness. I sincerely apologize for what I said. Until next time we meet Naruto-kun. I deem you my most worthy rival!" And with that the boy left. _

Naruto didn't know, but at that time, Sakura and her mother, Nayuki were next door, waiting to meet Iruka to get her prize for being an outstanding student. Every single word Naruto said was heard loud and clear. Nayuki smiled warmly at the boy as Sakura rushed to embrace him, thanking him for acting……like a baka. Naruto laughed and scratched his head, saying that he really had no idea what that boy meant. Well, who could blame him, he was nine.

But Sakura had remembered it till this day, and she really thanked Naruto for it. It was sort of what she had dreamed of, someone to protect her, someone like a prince. Well, Naruto wasn't exactly a prince on first look, but hey, details, who needs them?

Sakura had asked what the boy looked like so she could actually see what this "youthful" suitor of hers looked like. Naruto had raised an eyebrow and said, _"Erm, I don't think you would like him Sakura-chan. Honestly, you would get freaked out by his posture……not to mention those eyebrows……I swear they're evil……"_

And Sakura had left it at that. And of course, while she had her suitors……Ino had her fair share as well. Hers had been…...less eventful, mainly due to the fact that while Sakura retained her image as a nice and shy _(Sort of)_ girl, Ino had been a tigress……literally. Anyone that dared so much as flirt with her……well, let's just say that they learned to fear a Kunoichi very quickly. One guy had the guts to yell out in front of the whole class how he was such an "amazingly handsome dude" that Ino should just beg for him to be with her.

Ino had an answer to that. Hello mister, meet your new friend……

And she had shoved her foot right at his crotch……a large _**splatter**_ sound could be heard……and Ino had hmph-ed and left the room, all the while muttering about senile guys. She had even said thank you to Naruto, who was just about to bash the guy for even daring to suggest his superiority to females. Note, Naruto had his mouth _wide_ open.

Needless to say, the guy ended up in ICU for three days. The class never saw him since. He changed to another class and wouldn't even come within twenty metres of Ino. Yukiko had laughed when Naruto had told her what happened. The look on his face was adorable. He was angry and he was wincing……most likely thinking of how hard Ino must have kicked……_Shudder……_

_Yep, those were the good times, _Hinata chuckled.

* * *

_**In the exam room……**_

"Okay, Naruto, for the first task, perform a henge no jutsu please."

Naruto rolled his eyes, _Yeah……I rushed all the way here……for this damn exam……to do a henge……woohoo……I sooooo have a life……_

But nonetheless, he muttered, "Henge!" And in a burst of smoke, transformed into a perfect Iruka.

Iruka nodded and said, "Well, next perform a standard Kawarimi no jutsu _(Replacement Technique)_ with anything in this room."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Anything?"

Mizuki growled, "Just do it brat! Stop wasting our time!"

Naruto shrugged, "Fine." With that, he formed the seals and in a second, he swapped places with Mizuki's watch……meaning……

"OUCH!!!!"

"Hm…oh, oops, I was going to swap with you sensei, guess I missed." Replied Naruto nonchalantly.

Iruka did his best to suppress his chuckle as Mizuki cursed under his breath. He knew Naruto had done it on purpose, but to be able to swap places with such a small thing……now that required at least high-chuunin level chakra control. Many though Kawarimi to be basic, and deemed it useless, but smart guys like Naruto would take advantage of that. If Naruto had a kunai……things just keep getting better……

"Now, for the final part of the exam, Naruto, perform three functioning bunshins please."

Naruto grinned and said, "Bunshin no jutsu!" and in an instant, five bunshins fazed into existence. No smoke, meaning no wastage of chakra, excellent.

Iruka gave a nod of approval, "Well done Naruto. Here is your Hitai-ate _(Head Band with the leaf symbol on it)_. Congratulations on becoming a Genin!"

Naruto gave one of his rare smiles, "Arigato-ne, Iruka-sensei!" And with that, he walked out of the class, leaving a very happy Iruka and a very pissed Mizuki back in the exam room.

Naruto saw that everyone was gone by now, and only Sakura and Ino were left. Naruto blinked and looked at the clock. It was already half past ten. Looks like he actually spent quite some time in there.

Naruto instead of tying his Hitai-ate onto his head; fastened it onto his left arm and gave a foxy grin towards the girls. Both laughed at his childish antics and congratulated him.

"Good to see you passed Naru-kun! We knew you could……but that laziness might just be a problem." Ino smirked.

Naruto grasped his heart in mock-sadness, "My, my, Ino-chan, I'm depressed that you would think so lowly of me!"

Sakura giggled and gave a wink at Ino, "Come on Naruto! We're treating you to Ichiraku Ramen!"

Naruto blinked. _No…no way…did I hear……_

He gulped, "Sakura…did you just say……"

Ino gave a maniacal grin, "Indeed, all you can eat Ichiraku Ramen coupon is all we need. And frankly, at the moment, it's all we have. So live with it."

Naruto's eyes turned to stars as he yelped in joy and pulled both girls in for a big hug. "THANKS! Wow, never thought I would see the day that you two actually _encouraged _me to eat at Ichiraku!"

"True, true, even though it tastes good, it is junk food, but special occasions do have their benefits."

Naruto grinned, before frowning slightly, "Ne, Sakura-chan, could I hold this offer until tomorrow? I got some things that I need to sort out today. Gomen."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"

But Naruto was already out of the room, "See ya guys tomorrow! Sorry I couldn't walk you guys home!"

Ino blinked, "Did he just……"

Sakura gave a hesitant nod, "I think he did……"

In unison, they cried, "OH MY GOD, NARUTO REJECTED RAMEN!"

And if one listened closely enough, they would have heard the voice somewhere outside the academy, "NO I DIDN'T!"

* * *

_**At the Hokage's office……**_

"Ne, Izumi-san! Can I see Hokage-jisan for a sec? There's some……things I need to discuss with him."

"Sure thing Naruto-kun."

Naruto gave a smile and quickly entered the office, his face rid of all playfulness. Time to get serious.

"Hokage-jisan, something's not right with Mizuki. I'm sure Kireki-ne-chan has reported that to you this morning."

Sarutobi sighed, "Yes indeed, but I still find it hard to believe that he would have the guts to do something disastrous. He can't possibly succeed."

"Ji-san, the scroll of Forbidden Techniques isn't exactly "well-hidden" anyway, so he could just distract you with an Icha-Icha paradise book and get on with his job! I'm sure someone else is behind this, and I can only think of one person. A certain vile……_Hebi yaro…… (Snake Bastard)_."

Sarutobi thought for a moment, before nodding, "Okay, I'll let you handle this one like Kireki requested, but Naruto, do be careful."

Naruto laughed, "Come on Jisan! I was the one to find out about his plot! Give me some credit will ya?"

Indeed, Naruto had become suspicious of Mizuki ever since that time he overheard him talking about forbidden techniques and scrolls and stuff in the forests. He had made a Kage Bunshin to follow him and had found out about his plan. That was two months ago. It originally consisted of Naruto failing his genin exam and Mizuki _convincing_ him to steal the scroll of Forbidden Jutsus.

_The nerve……_And Naruto had informed the Hokage straight away. So all he had to do now………

He smirked, "Ne, Hokage-jisan. Plan A is now in action."

Sarutobi blinked, "Huh?"

Naruto formed the ram seal quickly and yelled, "Oiroke No Jutsu! _(Perverted Jutsu)_" And in a poof of smoke, a naked and sensual blonde girl with her hair tied up in a long pony tail was standing there, in all her glory, with smoke intentionally covering the _major_ parts of the female body, leaving lots of room for all kinds of information.

"O-ne-gaaaiiiii, Ho-ka-ge-samaaaaaa!" The female gently nibbled on her forefinger and stared with her beautiful cerulean eyes at the Hokage, suggesting some very intimate actions……

The result was instantaneous, due to the sheer……_power_ of the technique _(Against perverts)_, Sarutobi was flung back from the huge amount of blood loss through his nostrils and was currently rendered unconscious on the ground, twitching.

A poof of smoke was seen and instantly, Naruto appeared again, shaking his head, "Man, Ojisan, you honestly have to control yourself, stop being such a pervert!" And sighing, he made his way to the shelf and muttering a quiet 'Kai', he dispelled the genjutsu and grabbed the Forbidden scroll, and tying in onto his back, he whispered, "Genjutsu: Akiraka Jiseki! _(Clear Trace)_" And within seconds, he became invisible, then quiet as a cat, he leapt out of the office windows, and dashed off towards the forests.

* * *

_**Five hours later……**_

"Hokage-sama! Is it true? Did Naruto really steal the Scroll of Forbidden Techniques?" Iruka blurted out as he dashed into the office. Mizuki was following him thinking, _God damnit, that stupid brat, why did he have to complicate things?_

Sarutobi gave a grave nod, though inside, he was cursing like mad at Naruto for pulling that jutsu off. "Iruka, Mizuki, search for him alongside the other ninjas I've dispatched. Now go! And bring him back alive!"

"HAI!" And they're off.

Sarutobi grumbled as he took out his crystal ball and began to watch the whole event unfold itself.

* * *

_**In the forest……**_

"Whew……now that……was _totally worth learning_……" He had already mastered Kage Bunshin no jutsu, so he figured that he could use some more jutsus and since he _was_ going to capture Mizuki anyway, why not learn a few first?

And so he had opened the scroll, and flipped past Kage Bunshin. The next jutsus however, caught his eye. It was _Tajuu Kage Bunshi no jutsu (Mass Shadow Clones technique) and Bunshin Daibakuha (Clone explosion)_, and he was almost giddy with joy at that. Imagine the pranks……now, now, no time to be thinking about that, and so, he had set off to practice it.

He mastered it within an hour, and seeing how Mizuki probably still has yet to arrive, he flipped further through the scroll. "Mokuton? _(Wood Element)_ Huh? Is there even such an element?"

_**Kit, that element has been extinct for at least forty years, your Shodaime Hokage was the only one in this village to be able to use it. **_

_Really? Woah……so…can I learn it?_

……_**Actually, you just might be able to do it. Okay, give it a try. Concentrate on your water and ground chakra natures, clear your mind of all the other ones. **_

_But that's sooooo hard……._

_**Just do it!**_

_Fine……there, done._

_**Now, focus water onto your left hand, ground onto your right. Picture it, feel it within you, the chakra movement. The growth of life!**_

_Uh huh……and?_

_**Once you get the flow, combine the two forces and see what happens……**_

_Really? Er…sounds a bit too easy though……_

_**IF IT WASN'T FOR MY AFFINITIES TO ALL ELEMENTS, YOU RECKON YOU COULD EVEN LEARN THIS?!**_

_Alright, alright, calm down……ok, here we go!_

And he slapped both palms together, and placed them onto the ground in one swift motion, "Ki Seitan no jutsu! _(Tree Birth technique)_"

If he did it right, a humongous tree would appear in front of him……just about now……

Even Kyuubi was at a loss for words……

_**Kit……you're pathetic……**_

On the ground in front of them……was……a very small……seedling. Like…two centimeters tops. That small………

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?!"

_**I told you to concentrate!**_

_I did!_

_**Lies! Did you feel the life essence stir within you? Did you feel it?**_

_Er……_

_**Sigh……I thought so, ah well, might as well copy the jutsus down and try them later on. At least you proved that you can control the element, even if that was a totally dismal attempt. **_

_Hey! I tried! But it just feels awkward. Like a part of me wants to leave and I'm not too sure about that._

……_**I see. Well, we'll discuss this later. Now focus and train. That traitor should come soon……**_

And so, Naruto had trained, and it was seven in the evening already, when finally, a rustle of leaves was heard and Iruka appeared in front of Naruto.

"NARUTO! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! HOW Dare you……huh?"

Naruto yawned and grinned, "Ne, Iruka-sensei, I only learnt two jutsus while I was here, what's the matter?"

Iruka sweatdropped, "Er…do you know what scroll that is?"

"Nope, but it had loads of jutsus, so I thought might as well." Naruto was enjoying every minute of this. The flabbergasted look on Iruka's face was just too much.

"You…you were training?"

"Duh." Naruto rolled his eyes. He was getting impatient, surely……yep, he's here.

Just then, a huge shuriken flew into view almost cutting Iruka in half had it not been for his quick reflexes. Naruto narrowed his eyes and dodged it as well. "Who's there?" Even though he knew perfectly well who that was.

"My, my, why did you have to be so damn bothersome? Now hand over the scroll gaki! Or die a painful death! I haven't got time to play with a demon!" cussed Mizuki as he looked down arrogantly at Naruto and Iruka.

Iruka was shocked, "What is the meaning of this Mizuki? The Hokage specifically told us to……"

"Do you even think I actually care about what that old geezer says? This kid is the Kyuubi! The demon reincarnate! You expect me to trust this little bastard? That's right kid; you're the one that killed all those villagers twelve years ago! How'd ya like that huh? The whole village despises you, but that's not the point. Now hand over that scroll, I've got a deadline to meet."

Naruto growled as his suspicions turned true, but he knew he needed to play his part, "I…I have Kyuubi……in me?" His face twisted into some sort of painful expression……like he was constipated _(Erhem……)_ But, nonetheless……

"Hmph, the Yondaime sealed it within you, you damn fox! Now hurry up and do as I say, before I kill you!"

Iruka roared in anger at his tone, "Mizuki! I will not allow you to insult my student. He is an honorable genin of Konohagakure! He will become the future Hokage. Mizuki! Due to your outrageous attempts at stealing the Scroll of Forbidden techniques and the breaking of Sandaime's law, I, Umino Iruka, Chuunin of Konohagakure, hereby arrest you!"

Mizuki merely scoffed at that comment and laughed, "You actually think you can beat me? With **this** power, **I am **invincible!" And with each word, he began to transform, slowly into the body of a tiger humanoid. He grew fangs and claws, his whole body increased in size, his muscles grew larger, and his legs became longer.

He now stood at a height of two metres, towering above Iruka and Naruto.

Iruka gasped in shock at that, "Mizuki……"

"**Hahaha, this is the power of Orochimaru-sama! If I get him the scroll of Forbidden techniques, I'll get more power! Now die you pathetic worms!**"

And with speed he had never shown before he appeared right beside Iruka and smashed him right through a tree, knocking Iruka unconscious.

Naruto snarled at that, as Mizuki smirked, turning to him, "**What are you going to do you demon?! Give me the scroll!**"

"Hmph, over my dead body."

"**That can be arranged!**"

And Mizuki charged, punching at totally random intervals, bashing up everything in his path.

Naruto flung the scroll onto a tree trunk before concentrating, his chakra flared and got into his Ryuudou Gensou stance _(Flowing Illusions)_, he shouted, "Take this! All I need is the basics and I can destroy you! Hayase: Hirameki Nijuugo-shou! _(Swift Current: Twenty-five Flash palms)_"

And fully utilizing his original technique "Shunpo", _(Flash Steps)_ He dashed in a circle around Mizuki, before landing multiple blows, one stronger than the other. Knocking him into the air, Naruto kneed him in the chin, before disappearing and ramming his fist into his back, basically, the muscles protecting the main organs were heavily barraged upon, and after forming a huge combo, Naruto ended it with a hard punch right in the guts, sending Mizuki flying into the ground.

Naruto cracked his knuckles, "Uh huh, how'd ya like that?"

Mizuki coughed out blood, trying to get the nausea out of his brain. It wasn't just physical damage, the spins and the chakra blows……hurt like hell, but his mind was all fuzzy, he lost all focus, feeling the urge to puke……

"Now, who's the man? TAJUU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" And in an instant, two hundred clones appeared beside them, "Haha, someone's dizzy eh? BEAT THE BASTARD UP!"

"HELL YEAH!"

Needless to say, the whole village heard a very chilling "**NOOOOOOO!!!!!**" as the clones did their job.

* * *

_**Half an hour later……**_

Sarutobi burst out laughing at the figure that was supposed to be Mizuki. Naruto had used extra strength and made sure that bastard felt every single hit. Ah, that was some good stress relief.

"Naruto, scroll?"

"Eh? Kireki-ne-chan?"

Kireki was standing there, expressionless, hand stretched out, waiting for him to hand it over.

Naruto had a bad feeling about this, especially the glint within Sandaime's eyes. _Uh oh……_

And so Naruto handed it over……**SMASH!**

"HOW DARE YOU USE THAT JUTSU AGAIN! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO DO THAT?!" Kireki hollered as she continuously smacked Naruto with the huge scroll.

"I TOLD YOU A MILLION TIMES BUT YOU NEVER LISTEN DO YOU?! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE THE WOMEN'S PRIDE?!"

_Shit……she's really angry……_

Sarutobi sweatdropped, he had never thought it was this serious……wait, is she looking at him……

Kireki was glaring at him……god help him. He whimpered and hid behind his desk.

"Hokage-sama……I can't believe that you……"

"ERHEM. Right, Kireki, please leave it at that, and take young Naruto home! I'm sure he's exhausted. Now, I've some things I need to do, bye!" And with a quick shunshin, he ran for his life.

Kireki then giggled and laughed full volume. Naruto quickly got up, and gave her a hi-five, "Told ya it would work!"

Kireki ruffled his hair, earning a grunt of protest, "My, my, looks like we did scare off Hokage-sama ne……Did I hurt you?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Of course! What am I made of? Steel?"

Kireki grinned and said, "Well, mission accomplished. Shall we?" And with a huge nod, Naruto walked out onto the streets, genuinely happy that he had been able to finish this B-rank mission……

"Damn……I missed that Ramen feast……"

Kireki sighed in amusement at the immaturity of Naruto when it comes to food, but as she smiled at the beautiful night scenery Konoha was offering.

_Minato-ni-chan, he's growing……gradually yes……but I'm sure that one day, he will indeed surpass you! _

* * *

_**Well, well, that was LONG. God, five thousand words, longest chap eva. Now, the last part was meant to be a prank. If you can't get it, fine by me. LOL. The fluffy stuff was meant to let you guys take a break from action but I couldn't resist the end part. Meh, more fighting will come. **_

_**And please, do NOT protest that Naruto can use Mokuton. I told you he can control the elements because of Kyuubi, and NO, I will NOT make him super powerful that he just use that Jukai Kotan jutsu Shodaime used in the manga. **_

**_And I apologize if this seems too rushed. But I figured we should get this basic stuff out of the way for the storyline to move on._**

_**Hope this was satisfactory! And keep the reviews coming! Love them. XD**_

_**Oh, and tell me if you liked the NaruSaku thing. Appreciate it. **_


	9. Success

_**A/N: So far so good, glad that this story is getting so much attention. It's all thanks to you guys! XD **_

_**Last chap was a bit of a disappointment I know, lol, to tell you guys the truth, I got lazy half way through. Gomen Nasai! XD **_

_**Well, this chap should be better…hehe……**_

_**Pairing is NaruSaku and NaruIno, though I have to say I am indeed highly tempted to add NaruHaku into it, I won't; seeing that this is not a harem fic. Ah, but I will be making a Bleach crossover Harem fic soon……or maybe another fic featuring another super Naruto? Argh, that's not the point, anyways, just wanted to keep you guys updated. **_

_**Now, no one had problems with Naruto using wood element. GOOD. I find it odd that most of you hardly minded that I introduced Lee so early in the fic. Lol. If you haven't noticed, meh, never mind. **_

_**And after my crazy ranting, let's get on with this story! Enjoy! **_

**_Disclaimer: Look, I hate to tell you this pal, but I don't own Naruto, sad isn't it? _**

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 9: Success

"Uaaaaggghhhh……" yawned Naruto as he laid his head down once again on his desk. This was taking way too long. Iruka had gone off to get the list of teams……and he was away for half an hour already. The mission yesterday was quite a drag, and Kyuubi had been annoying. He was constantly being berated at for not being able to produce a decent tree……

Naruto had found a way to shut him up basically. He controlled what it looked like in his mind, so right now; Kyuubi was in a huge plain, peaceful and quiet. Naruto didn't want to do this, but he had no choice, so he had added a single entity into his 'mind realm'. The fact that Kyuubi was actually howling in fear made Naruto's day. After all, that particular entity was _the_ most frightening thing Naruto had ever come across.

Sakura and Ino were worried about him, seeing his exhausted figure, but he had reassured them that he was alright. They were both skeptical, but left it at that. Kiba and the others too tried to find out what could _possibly _get _the_ most energetic blond into his current state. Sadly, all failed, seeing Naruto's attention span was really short right now.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Iruka finally returned back to class, a wide smile evident on his face. He motioned for everyone to sit down, which earned quite a few questioning looks, seeing how usually, he would just yell out 'shut up' or something like that.

He cleared his throat, and after getting everyone's attention (minus a certain blond) he began, "Now, I am very proud to announce that this year has been extremely successful, and you lot has been, by far, the only batch with a one hundred percent pass rate. I have confidence in you. I hate to tell you this, but the world for us shinobi is totally different from whatever you experience in class."

"The world out there……basically follows one rule: The strong live, the weak fail. It's as simple as that." Iruka paused, seeing the horrified looks on some naïve ones, and amused looks on others, specifically Uzumaki.

"Now, here is where we reach a dilemma. What is the meaning of strong? What is true strength? That is the question I want all of you to keep in mind. Maybe, to each of us, strength would come from different sources, for different reasons, yet the sole purpose of being strong should never change. We are Shinobi of Konohagakure; we are sworn to protect our village and its honor at all costs. That is a fact, but the ways and reasons for doing it, must be pure."

By now, everyone was starting to get freaked out. Where the hell was there lousy random speaking sensei? He was supposed to just give them a long bloody boring speech about how they passed and give out the teams! Not to scare the heck out of them!

"I know how you feel; I was in your place, thinking about this same question as well. What is true strength? Remember that, and hopefully, that should act as a guide for you. Now, I'm sure everyone must be dying to know their teams after what I said so let's start off. As you all know, genin teams are made up of three genins and a jounin-sensei. So here we go, team 1…………"

And so, on and on it went, Sakura notably raised an eyebrow as none of her intimate friends had been called yet. Naruto sighed, and looked at Ino and Sakura with something like an apology. _Gomen, if I had tried harder, the chance of us getting paired up may have been higher……_

Ino merely shook her head in exasperation and gave a smile, "Well, we'll just hope for the best then!"

And just then, Iruka announced, "Team 6, handpicked by the Hokage himself, with Tokubetsu _(Special)_ jounin Mitarashi Anko assigned as the jounin sensei." He paused for a moment, noticing the rise he got out of the remaining genins.

Naruto snorted, thinking, _Whoever got her as the teacher is royally screwed……_

"So, here we go. Team 6 consists of……Haruno Sakura."

Sakura's head drooped as she repeatedly slapped herself lightly on the forehead, as though that would make the bad news go away.

Ino grinned, "Tough luck."

"……Yamanaka Ino……" came Iruka's _very_ amused voice.

The whole class began laughing as Ino's jaw smashed onto the ground, unable to believe that she was experiencing such horror.

Naruto sighed, before raising an eyebrow, wondering who the hell would be the unlucky third member. Sure, he had said that he would've loved to be with Sakura and Ino as a team, seeing how their teamwork ruled everyone else in class, but seeing how the sensei was _Anko_ of all people, he decided that he would rather face the girl's wrath instead of the sadistic bitch……

_So…who could it be? Hope it's Kiba, then he'll get his ass handed to him over and over. Hm…maybe Shikamaru, indeed, they would work well……Shino? Nah, not possible. Mr. Almighty-Uchiha-Emo? Maybe……hope not, he's got enough fan-girls……and boys……let's just not go there……Choji's too nice, so no, em……any other males I should take into consideration?_

"And finally, we have Uzumaki Naruto."

As if on cue, the whole class roared with laughter. Kiba was banging his fists on the table, hollering about Naruto's misfortune. Even Shino was enjoying a good chuckle. The worst was Naruto; his eyes basically flew out of their sockets at that, with Sakura and Ino sniggering and muttering about how he had been 'unable to escape the claws of fate'.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY! YOU BETTER TELL ME YOU'RE JOKING!" snarled Naruto as the whole class laughed even harder. Iruka barely suppressed his chuckle as he explained, "Nope, it says here, Hokage recommendations, Team 6, Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, Uzumaki Naruto, Jounin sensei, Mitarashi Anko, there you have it."

"But…but…but that's……gah…fine……" Naruto slumped onto the table in defeat, damn the stupid old man for doing this to him, he was sure it was payback for the prank he did yesterday.

Iruka waited for the class to settle down before continuing, "Alright, Team 7, Uchiha Sasuke, Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Choji. Jounin sensei, Hatake Kakashi."

At that, Kiba sighed out loud, clutching his heart dramatically and laid his hand on Choji's shoulder, "Oh why? What did I do to deserve this? Of all the people……why am I teamed up with Emo-pants?!"

The boys in the class, especially Naruto, roared with laughter at that one, the girls, well, other than Sakura, Ino and Hinata, were basically oozing killing intent. Choji chuckled at the murderous look on Sasuke's face, knowing that things were really going to get interesting from now on.

"And now, we have Team 8, consisting of Aburame Shino, Hyuga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru. Jounin-sensei, Yuhi Kurenai."

Shino merely nodded, clearly pleased that he was on the same team with two friends. Hinata merely smiled meekly at the other two, whereas Shikamaru seemed very relaxed. Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Eh? Shikamaru, no 'troublesome' comment?"

Shikamaru smirked, "Now, now Naruto, I think I'll let you have that today. Seeing how Hinata is basically the only 'normal' girl in this class, and she's on my team, while……you've got two……'unique' girls in yours, with a sadistic _female_ sensei, I would say you need it more than me."

Ino's eyes narrowed dangerously, her voice sweet and nice, "What was that Shikamaru? Didn't quite catch it."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Nothing, nothing that you should know……_which is practically everything_..."

"I HEARD THAT!"

"Meh, too bad I guess." And before Ino could charge over and mutilate Shikamaru, Iruka closed his closed his roll book and smiled, "Well, the jounin sensei's should be coming soon, I wish you all the best for your futures. Make sure you live up to the honor of being a Konoha Shinobi, you hear that?"

"HAI! SENSEI!"

"Good……er…I er……have something I need to do now, so er……bye!" And Iruka quickly rushed out of the classroom, leaving Naruto and the others a tad bit suspicious.

"Ne, Naru-kun, you don't think……"

"No way……" Naruto's eyes widened, and not a moment later, the classroom door slammed open, and in came a brunette with short, crispy purple hair tied up by her headband. She was wearing a trench coat over her usual attire of fish-net blouse thingy _**(A/N: I sincerely apologize to all my readers, because I cannot, for the love of me, describe a person's attire properly, so please, bear with me for the moment. LOL.)**_ with a short mini-skirt. Her crazy grin was still there, as if mocking the genins right in front of her. She had……a killer body, if you look at the expressions on Kiba's face. Indeed, her curves were very alluring, and to say that Ino was jealous would be an understatement, hell, even Sasuke blushed at her figure.

The only person unaffected by her appearance was Naruto, seeing how he was totally used to her unpredictable actions and seeing how he was _not_ a pervert, he naturally scowled at her. He had always told her that she wore too little, alas, it always falls on deaf ears, but she did tease him a bit.

"Now, now, where is my favorite blond?" All of a sudden, many beams of killer glares were aimed at Naruto, seeing how he was the only male blond in class.

Naruto sweatdropped at Kiba's agitated posture and gave a sigh of exasperation, "Oi, Anko-chan, cut the crap. Where do we meet?"

Anko pouted, "Aww…you ruined it, alright, the usual place, you know where that is. Come on, we don't have all day. And mind you little brats," she turned to the other genins and her eyes narrowed dangerously, that familiar maniacal glint appearing behind those orbs, "If I _ever_ find _any _of you undressing a girl with your eyes again," a kunai appeared in her hand, "I'll make sure a _very_ important part of your anatomy is severed, without question."

That being said, she poof-ed out of the class in a cloud of smoke, leaving a totally terrified class behind. Naruto chuckled, then looked over at Sakura and Ino, "Come on, let's get going, we don't want her to kill us now do we?"

Sakura gulped and Ino shivered a little. Obviously, events of their last training session continues to linger in their minds. Naruto grinned, "It'll be fine, knowing Anko, I can tell she's happy. I reckon this is the first time she's ever led a team……let alone a team she trusts and loves. Now let's get there and show her what we got. Right?"

Instantly, the pressure was off. Sakura and Ino couldn't help but smile at his grin, "Right!" Confidence seems to have come back, and now that they think about it, Anko was really a very nice person……if you exclude the sadistic part……and the maniacal part……and the sluttish part……and the arrogance……yeah.

Shaking her thoughts, Sakura wondered, "Ne, Naruto? The usual as in, the training grounds? Or her favorite hangout spot?"

Naruto grinned, "Sakura-chan, isn't it obvious? She likes dango, I like ramen, where do you think we can get those?"

* * *

_**Later……**_

"Yo, nice to see that you guys were on time!" cheered Anko as she took another bite from her dango stick. Naruto shook his head as he yelled, "Ojisan! Two miso ramen please!"

"Sure thing!"

"Of all the places, why Ichiraku Ramen?"

"I'm thinking that question is basically rhetorical."

Anko pouted, "Oh come on! I was hungry!"

Everyone sweatdropped, "That's it?"

Anko grinned, "Besides, where better to start off introducing ourselves? So, come on, tell me about your dislikes, likes, hobbies, goals, etc. Come on Pinkie, let's go."

Sakura twitched a little at her new 'nickname', but nonetheless, she began, "My name is Haruno Sakura, I like my best friends Ino and Naruto and reading novels and well, just hanging out. I dislike perverts and anything perverted. That includes Naruto's oiroke no jutsu." She ignored Naruto's retort_ 'Hey! I'll have you know that is very useful!'_

She continued, "My goals, well, I would want to become a strong kunoichi, probably a medic nin as I progress."

Anko nodded, "Ok, you're next piggy……"

A vein popped out of her forehead at that, but Ino calmed herself, "Name's Yamanaka Ino. I like gardening, tending to flowers, hanging out with my best friends Sakura and Naruto, basically, I love flowers. I dislike people who disrespect my friends and those who think they're almighty just because they're male. My goal……hmm……maybe something in the interrogation department would be suitable, seeing how my mind jutsus would work very well."

Anko was almost giddy with joy at that statement, "You go girl! We were just looking for some more recruits, and I'll be damned if I cannot train you to become better than me in that department. All right, finally, our loveable brat."

"Thanks." Answered Naruto dryly as he sighed, "Well, you all know me. Uzumaki Naruto is the name. Likes, Ramen, Sakura-chan and Ino-chan, training, coming up with new jutsus, Anko-chan, Kireki-chan, Hokage-jisan. Dislikes, perverts, and their stupid perverted novels. Goal, to become the greatest Hokage this village has _ever_ seen!"

"Oh, is that so? We'll see if you can live up to that." She took out her purse and placed some money on the counter, "Teuchi-san! Can I get ten sticks of dango with me to takeaway?"

"In a sec." yelled the old man from the kitchen, busy preparing the food.

"Alright, you guys, head towards training grounds forty-three right now, I'll be there soon, time for the _real_ genin test. Hahahaha……"

For some reason, that laugh just sent chills down their spines……

* * *

_**At training grounds forty-three……**_

"Ne, Naruto, what do you think she meant by the real genin exam?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shrugged, "Probably some tests used to cut down the incompetent 'genins' that passed the academy. Remember how Iruka-sensei told us that the skills we need in the academy and out here are totally different? Well, I'm guessing that we're now going to be tested on that 'something different'."

"Well done Naru-chan." Grinned Anko as she appeared in a swirl of leaves.

Ino raised an eyebrow, "Clearly explain it please?"

Anko suddenly grew serious, her face abandoning her usual cheerful expression, "The genin exam in the academy was just to see if you guys qualify to be a genin. Whether you actually succeed depends on us jounin-senseis. And to tell you guys the truth, the pass rate is pretty low, only one third of all the students can pass. That's a sixty-seven percent fail rate for ya."

"Sixty-seven?! That's just……"

Anko nodded, "Each jounin sensei has their own tests to deem if their team is up to standard, and now, welcome to your very own genin shiken _(Exam)_. Objective of this exam? Find me and attempt to disable me before I finish my dango. That would be about half an hour. Good luck! Oh and don't forget to come at me with the intent to kill!" And with that, she grinned, and disappeared into the forest.

Sakura and Ino immediately readied themselves, getting into their stances, whereas Naruto frowned, "Sakura, Ino, it's not that simple."

Both girls looked at him, curious. They could tell he was totally serious, judging from the way he left out the chan-suffix. "This is training ground forty-three, the one beside the dreaded, forty-four. Although slightly safer, we can't rule out the possibilities of traps. Besides, think about it, we're genin hopefuls, she's a Tokubetsu jounin, skill difference is quite big, surely she doesn't expect us to win?"

A look of realization dawned on Sakura, "Teamwork!"

Ino snapped her fingers, "I get it! When she told us to rush at her with the intent to kill, it was merely to get us sidetracked and lose focus!"

Naruto grinned, "Exactly. Now, we know she has ten dango sticks. She says it's going to take half an hour……what do you girls say we……I don't know, make that into two hours?" The smirk on his face was hard to miss and slowly, but surely the girls understood his plan, and without a word, that dashed off to their relative positions.

After all, they had trained together for so long, one word from each other and they would know how to act straight away. Anko knew their strengths, yes……but would she expect them to fully utilize their skills and use teamwork to give them the final boost? That is what Team 6 is betting on.

* * *

_**With Anko in the forest……**_

"Hm……already on my second and still no movement, what are those brats doing? Slacking? Hmph, I expected better……wait……" She smirked as she spotted a slight pinkish tinge behind one of the trees ten metres away. _Show time. _

And so, sticking one final dango into her mouth, she threw away the stick and dashed towards her target. Secretly she thought _One down, two to go……_

But then, "Gotcha! Katon: Shakkakyu! _(Fire Element: Crimson Fire Ball)_" Anko cussed as an orb of fire hit her right on, activating the Kawarimi she had placed on herself ages ago. "Now, now Naru-chan, what did I teach you about patience?"

Naruto growled and formed another series of seals quickly, "Ah, but did you know I could do this? Doton: Doryu Taiga!_ (Earth Element: Earth Dragon Mudflow)_" A stream of mud rushed at Anko, forcing her to dodge it.

_Damn, when did this kid learn an earth-type jutsu? A B-rank one no less. _

However, her face remained neutral as she yelled out, "Seneijashu! _(Multiple Snakes Shadow Hands)_" And right on cue, several snakes burst out of her sleeve and coiled up around Naruto firmly, preventing him from moving.

Anko looked disappointed, "My, my, you've certainly become weaker. Looks like you failed this time."

Naruto merely scowled before giving a grin, "Ya think?" and with a 'poof', he erupted in a cloud of smoke. Anko's eyes widened, "Kage Bunshin. SHIT."

And indeed, Ino was already on it, "Ninpo: Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu! _(Ninja Arts: Multiple Shuriken clones technique)_" and a whole horde of shurikens flew at Anko, forcing her to evade and land on the right hand side, "Good, but not good enough! Fuuton: Daitoppa! _(Wind Element: Great Breakthrough)_" And with a huge gust of wind, she blew away all the shuriken, neutralizing the threat, or so she thought.

Sakura had appeared at that moment, having jumped into the sky, she had yelled, "Rankyaku: Tora Tsume! _(Storm Leg: Tiger Claw)_" and with a war cry, she smashed her leg into the spot where Anko had been just a few seconds ago. The attack caused several cracks to appear on the ground, _pretty good for someone who just learned it a few months ago……hmm…maybe I shouldn't have asked Gai about that attack……_

Sakura's taijutsu scrolls came from Gai, well, she went to ask Anko, and Anko had gone to Gai. But anyway, the taijutsu Sakura was using is called Rankyaku, focusing chakra onto one's feet and leg, causing huge amounts of damage to anything it comes into contact with. However, there's catch, the difference between Goken _(Hard Fist) _and Rankyaku, is that Goken merely requires one to have large amounts of chakra and channel as much of it into one's limbs as possible. Rankyaku however, requires extreme chakra control, releasing a precise amount of chakra at that particular moment for it to work. Of course, large chakra reserves are always a plus.

Sakura had found it useful, but till now, had only mastered one single 'attack'. It was the easiest for Sakura, seeing how one had to attack from above, and gather speed and chakra as they fell. Her chakra reserves were about average, and so, she relied mainly on control. Her accomplishment on this style is around 0.1 percent. Meaning not a lot at all.

Anko was surprised by it, but merely brushed it aside. She would never have expected Naruto to suddenly appear behind her, "Akiraka Jiseki: Kai! _(Clear Trace: Release!)_ I'll take those, thank you very much!"

And to Anko's utmost horror, Naruto had stolen her bag of dango and had dashed off with them, along with Ino and Sakura. Her mouth was gaping……then slowly, the flames within her burned ferociously and she growled, "GET BACK HERE YOU BRATS! I'M GONNA FREAKING KILL YOU!" as she charged after them.

Naruto gave a nod and stopped halfway, forming his seals, _Ryu, tora, tori, Ohitsuji, uma, hebi, ryu! _"Alright, check this out. HARGH!" And once again, that familiar flame engulfed his hand, yet this time, it was blue in colour. The flames looked cool and deadly, and slowly, by using form manipulation, he willed the flames into a spiral around his entire right forearm.

Anko, having been angered by the loss of her dango to mere brats ignored the jutsu and charged straight on, thinking how futile that attack would be if it missed. Naruto grinned and yelled, "Imada! _(Now!)_"

Sakura concentrated on her remaining chakra and with all her power, smashed it into a small tree, blasting it towards Anko, giving her quite a shock. She nimbly dodged it, but saw that Naruto was charging towards her, and yelled, "Alright, brat! Bring it! This one you should no! Fuuton: Kaze no Fukumen! _(Wind element: Wind Veil)_" And immediately, a whirlwind began to pick up around Anko, forming a roaring shield around her.

Naruto concentrated and yelled, "It's over! Ino, your cue! This is the improved version of my last attack, you're the first to test it sensei! Seika: Kaen Rin! _(Azure flames: Blaze Wheel)_"

Grasping his right arm tightly with his left, he dashed straight at Anko's Kaze no Fukumen and clashed with it right on, the flames dancing against the whirlwind, going with the flow of the wind, and with a huge _**BOOM!**_ The fire successfully dispelled the winds with a grinning Naruto looking at a dumbfounded Anko.

And right after that, a clear voice rang out, "Alright! Ninpo: Shinranshin no jutsu! _(Ninja arts: Mind Body Disruption Technique)_" The effect was instantaneous, Anko's movement was effectively stopped for the time being and it was all they needed.

"We win sensei." Said Sakura as she placed a kunai against Anko's neck, thereby signifying their silent victory.

Naruto was panting, Sakura was forcing herself to stay alert, lest something went wrong, and Ino was trying her best to hold the jutsu.

Just then, Anko laughed, it wasn't her bone-chilling laugh, nor was it the fake laugh, it was one of pride and joy. "Omaera _(You guys)_……"

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, "I can't believe I'm saying this myself, but that was perfect. Sore de jubun da. _(That is enough.)_"

Her eyes were twinkling in excitement as she said the following sentence, "You shown the capabilities of working as a team, fully utilizing your strengths to cover up your weaknesses, brilliant strategies and much more. I am proud to say that you guys pass. Congratulations."

Silence……then, "YADDA! WHOOHOO! WE PASS! HELL YEAH! TAKE THAT!" _(Guess who.)_

Ino immediately released her jutsu and ran over to hug her sensei along with Sakura, words seemingly useless as they both wanted to thank Anko for helping them before. They finally understood that all the hard work had indeed paid off.

Anko laughed along with them before saying, "Alright folks! What'd ya say to some nice dango and ramen before you're dismissed?"

And amidst the cheers and laughter, little did they know, that the strongest Ansatsu butai _(Assassination unit)_, of all times, has been born.

* * *

_**Well, well, how do ya like that?! That's what I call a fighting scene! LOL. It was definitely better than last chap, I know. Come on, come on, review! Missions and training awaits! On we go!**_

_**Sakura isn't super strong, neither is Ino, their attacks will be explained next chap, just bear with me. Naruto's new technique was a refined one from the earlier Kaen Furea Hiketsu, and no, it is NOT a variation of Rasengan. That will come later. And NO, Anko is NOT weak. I'll explain it next chap as usual. So don't go like, "What the hell? She got wasted?" No she did not. End of story.**_

_**Review and tell me about it! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I do. XD **_


	10. Fun

**_A/N: Guys, guys, I'm glad that this story is popular and better off than some others, but hey, I need REVIEWS. Look, if you don't want this story to go on Hiatus like my Kingdom Hearts ones, you better review. Lol, it's not a threat, more like a fact. And that rhymes so I rule. _**

**_Anyway, yeah, last chap was Genin exams, they pass, so now, let's move on. Explanation time! Okay, now, time to vote for one of my favorite questions: WHO WANTS SASUKE BASHING?! _**

**_Hey, hey, no offense to Sasuke fans, I can't help it myself. I refuse to pamper a bloody brooder who's got everything, friends and good teachers, hell, maybe even lovers, but no, he gives it up for evil power. Lame. Erhem. _**

**_Now, I want you guys to know, that please, if you have something against the way I think of Sasuke, do NOT just go like, "NOOO, SASUKE-KUN IS NOT LIKE THAT!!! YOU ARE A BASTARD!" or something along those lines. I'll not be immensely hurt to the point of no return, no, I will just laugh my ass off. Literally. _**

**_Why? Because I've seen these kinds of arguments go on for ever. Hey, everyone deserves a viewpoint. One should not force others to do it his/her way, so here I am giving you guys a chance to vote, and I swear, you better take this seriously. You like the way I'm ignoring Sasuke, just put a YES. Don't like it, NO. Simple as that. _**

**_Okay, after this loooooong as ranting, let's get on with the show. As always, enjoy! XD _**

**_Disclaimer: HAHA, if I owned Naruto, Sasuke would be portrayed as the world's most pathetic emo. That would be a bit mean, but hey, I don't own Naruto do I? XD _**

* * *

I Will Believe 

Chapter 10: Fun 

"Oi, gaki! I've been wanting to ask, who taught piggy that ninjutsu?" Anko was currently munching her way through her fifteenth dango stick. Naruto was on his twelfth bowl of ramen, and quickly swallowed, before answering, "Duh, I did."

Ino bonked on the head and muttered about arrogant male blonds with hard heads. Sakura merely giggled at the all too familiar scene before them. "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu _(Shuriken Shadow Clones Technique)_. B-rank ninjutsu. Now, explain."

Naruto gave a shrug, "I felt that it fit Ino pretty well. Seeing how her mind was used to controlling stuff, I reckoned that if she had to duplicate something, it could be done pretty well. And just then, she had asked about ninjutsus, so I thought, what the hell, and taught her how to do it. Ino has talent with weapons, I'm sure you know it."

Anko raised an eyebrow, "Indeed, but hey, Ino, what's with the incompleteness of the jutsu?"

Ino blushed in embarrassment, "Er……I didn't have enough chakra to duplicate it any more than twenty five at that time. My maximum was eighty I think. Besides, the point of that attack was to distract you, so I figured that amount was just right. Anymore, and my Shinranshin _(Mind Body Disruption) _would not have worked."

Anko thought for a while, "True, true, but seriously, I had known all along your teamwork was good, but to be able to take it to this extreme, hell, even if I DID underestimate you brats, disabling me _and_ humiliating me at the same time was impressive……"

Naruto gulped down the last of his ramen and glanced suspiciously at Anko, "You don't mean to tell me that you're gonna punish us for that right?"

Anko narrowed her eyes, her dangerous smile appearing once again. Sakura subconsciously gulped; her muscles tense. Anko noticed it and laughed, "Relax, the hardest punishment I'll ever give you guys would just be really hard training, I'm not going to like torture you or anything……I think."

Naruto sweatdropped, "Is there even a difference?"

Anko cheered, "Apparently not!" and continued munching on her dango.

Sakura sighed and asked, "Ne, Anko-sensei, where did you get the taijutsu scroll from? I really want to thank the guy who gave this to me……"

Instantly, Anko's eyes widened and made a big cross in front of her chest, "NOOOO. DO NOT DO THAT. EVER."

Sakura raised an eyebrow uneasily, unsure of what the hell is going on.

Naruto however, tilted his head, "Don't tell me it was……"

And after seeing Anko nod furiously, Ino and Naruto both began to shiver, "Yeah, Sakura-chan, take her advice, for once she's making _a lot_ of sense."

"Huh? Why?"

"Look, he has the WORST fashion sense I've ever seen. He wears _green spandex_. He has _huge_ eyebrows, and he gives this 'nice guy pose' and sparkling teeth and all, god, that is horrible!" replied Ino, shuddering at the memory of the Green Beast of Konoha.

Sakura was even more confused, "Er……really?"

Naruto gave a sigh, "Look, Sakura-chan, trust me, if you ever see him, you'll know. His name is Maito Gai _(**A/N: I know, I know it's MIGHT GUY. But NOOO, Maito Gai sounds more Japanese. So in this fic, we'll do it my way.**)_"

Anko gave a snort, "Yep, tough guy, one of the best taijutsu users to ever be seen in Konoha, of course, Kireki-chan and her pals are strong as well, but hey, his Goken is damn impressive, I'll give him that much, but honestly, how on earth does he do the genjutsu? Even Kurenai can't dispel it."

Naruto and Ino merely chuckled at that. That was the first time they had seen Anko get agitated so quickly. "Ne, Sakura-chan, how's the style coming?"

Sakura gave a slight shrug, "As a matter of fact, I'm not too sure myself. I at first thought it was just my chakra capacity for a while, but apparently, I was wrong. It's not just pure power. I don't know what I'm missing."

Anko gave a nod, "Very well, training tomorrow, same place, 7 am in the morning, sharp. Well, I've got a report to fill in and you guys have to rest. See ya." And with that familiar 'poof', she disappeared.

Naruto paid for their meals and gave a yawn, "Alright, come on, let's get you girls home."

Ino pouted, "Naru-kun, we're not kids anymore!"

Naruto stopped for a moment, and looked at Ino, then at Sakura. True, they had grown up, _beautifully……_ And he smiled, "Thanks back there. Both of you have really grown. I swear, this is my dream team, and I'll be damned if I let you down. Sakura, Ino, thanks for being there for me."

To say that Sakura and Ino were surprised by this outburst was an understatement. Sakura swore that Naruto was bi-polar, one minute he's all happy go lucky, the next, he turns serious. But again, he was too caring for his own good, "Naruto! How many times do we have to tell you? The feeling is _mutual_. Got it?"

Ino grinned before latching herself onto Naruto's back once again, "Alright! Since you volunteer to be the gentleman once again, let's go!"

And amongst the laughter, a busy day slowly comes to an end.

* * *

**_Back at Naruto's apartment sometime later…… _**

"I'm back!" called a very tired Naruto.

"Oh?! How was it? How was it?" Kireki almost ran him over, trying to get answers from him. Hitomi was visiting along with Hanabi, and sure enough, in an instant, he was tackled onto the ground by a little white blur, "Ni-chan!"

Naruto laughed, "I passed. Same team with Sakura and Ino. Sensei's Anko."

Kireki ruffled his hair whilst Hitomi hugged him, "Good job, Naruto."

"Hey, hey! I AM the best future Hokage you know!"

"Yeah! Ni-chan's the best!"

"Awww, Hanabi-chan! Thank you!"

Hitomi and Kireki merely laughed at the scene. Those two were just so cute. "Ano, Kaasan, how did Hinata-chan do?"

"Oh, her team passed as well, and she really liked her team's teacher. Her confidence and skills have certainly grown. She would've come today but she wanted to make some bentos _(Lunch boxes)_ for her teammates. She told me to tell you sorry."

"Eh? There's no need to apologize! That baka, well, at least she likes her team, and that's a good thing! Haha, Kiba and Chouji weren't that well off though, they got paired up with emo-pants!"

Hitomi raised an eyebrow, "Emo…pants?"

Kireki chuckled, "He means Sasuke."

Naruto nodded furiously, "Ano sa, ano sa, Kaasan, did you know that he had a stick up his butt?"

Hitomi burst out laughing at that one. Naruto was still managing to keep a straight face, and it was just downright funny. Hanabi blinked, "Ne, Ni-chan, you mean he is like Neji?"

Kireki laughed even harder at that, Naruto gave a huge nod and told Hanabi to stay clear of arrogant fellows like them.

However, it soon got late and they had to go home. "Ni-chan! Come visit us sometime! I miss you!" smiled Hanabi as she kissed him on the cheek. Naruto nodded and ruffled her hair gently, "I will. But on one condition, promise me that you'll grow up to be a good girl."

"I will!"

"Glad to hear it. Ja, Kaasan, Hanabi-chan, oyasumi! _(Good night.)_"

"Naruto, come here." Motioned Hitomi as she hugged Naruto warmly, "I'm sure Kireki has told you this before, but you're a genin now, things are going to be much tougher from now on, would you be able to handle it?"

Naruto grinned, and returned the hug, clearly enjoying it, "Kaasan, I swear on my name, that no matter what, before I become the Hokage, I definitely will not give up!"

Hitomi smiled, "That's what I like to hear. Good night."

Kireki and Naruto waved as Hitomi and Hanabi left. The moon was out tonight, it was a beautiful sight, "Naruto-kun, come on, we need to rest up as well. I'll……be leaving for awhile. I need to find someone, she'll help in your training as well. Definitely."

"Huh? What……but……for how long?"

"I don't know……could be a few days, could be a few months. But……I'll try and be back before the Chuunin exams."

"But why all of a sudden……"

"Hokage-sama wanted her back, right now, Konoha is at its weakest, with most of our strongest shinobis killed or missing in action, we really need all the help we can get. Just putting all the burden on people like Kakashi or Genma isn't going to work."

"……I see. Well, can you at least tell me who she is?"

"Ah, I wanted it for a surprise, but I reckon you can know something about her. She is one of the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_, they all call her 'Hikari no Suzaku' _( Phoenix of Light)_."

"Oh. Ne, ne-chan, what are you known as?"

"Hmmm?"

"I mean, all of you have such cool names! How come?"

"Haha, Naruto-kun, those are names given to us in honor of our skills. I'm known as 'Yuki no Byakko' _(Tigress of Snow)_."

"Ne, ne, Kireki-ne-chan, what does she look like?"

"Hm…oh, just like your typical Uchiha, but well, the greatest difference is that her hair is light brown, long and flowing, I've always envied her for her exquisite treatment of her hair."

Naruto blinked, "Oh, I see, Uchiha with light brown hair……UCHIHA?!"

Kireki gave a sly smirk, "Oops, looks like I spoke too much……"

"WHAT THE HELL?! Aren't all Uchihas killed in the Uchiha Massacre? I thought Sasuke was the only survivor!"

Kireki merely stared at her nails, admiring them, "Ah, true, true, but who said she was in the village when that happened? HA! Well, at least my nails are prettier……"

Naruto sweatdropped at that, "Er…ne-chan."

Kireki ruffled his hair in reply, causing him to growl, "Well, you can ask her about everything when I come back with her, but for now, we need to get you to bed, Naru-chan!"

And sure enough, a loud yell was heard from the apartment, causing a certain purple-haired jounin to grin uncontrollably, "DON'T CALL ME THAT!!"

* * *

**_Back at the Hokage's office…… _**

"Ah, Anko, how did your team go? Did they pass?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama, they did exceptionally well. Only took them fifteen minutes or so."

"Really? Woah, that's a feat." Murmured Asuma as he entered the room, "Yo, Anko."

"YOSH! The flames of youth burn brightly this year as well!" yelled Gai as he 'poof-ed' into the room.

"Well, looks like we've got a strong batch these year, I mean, even Kakashi passed his team, even if it was by a small margin." Kurenai was right behind him and waved at Anko.

Anko raised an eyebrow, "Eh? Mr. pervert passed his team. Now that's a surprise."

"Ma, I can't believe it myself actually." Muttered the famed Copy ninja as he walked into the room, reading his beloved latest edition of 'Icha Icha Paradise'.

Anko growled, "I swear, if you dare read that in front of me, I'll castrate you."

Kakashi sighed, before putting his book away reluctantly, "Some people just don't understand art."

Even Kurenai twitched at this. "So, Anko, tell us about it."

"Uzumaki Naruto showed clear understanding of the test, he realized that teamwork was the way to go straight away. He planned ahead, using the team's strengths to the extreme and in the end, managed to catch me off guard. His taijutsu and ninjutsu were excellent. His genjutsu, though not as impressive as the other two, is definitely above average. His Akiraka Jiseki no jutsu was utilized to perfection."

More than a few eyebrows were raised after this comment. However, Anko ignored them and continued.

"Next, Yamanaka Ino. She took Naruto's advice into consideration and while hiding in the shadows, she launched a mini-version of the B-rank ninjutsu: Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu. She minimized the chakra output and used it as a distraction, and finally, her exquisite use of Shinranshin no jutsu was the one to finish the onslaught of the three. Her taijutsu is average, her ninjutsu and genjutsu would be her forte."

"Last of all, Haruno Sakura, with use of the style Rankyaku _(Storm Leg)_, she managed to pull my attention onto herself, thereby allowing her teammates to wait for an opening. Her taijutsu is of course, above average, her ninjutsu is acceptable, and her genjutsu talent has yet to be shown, however, I have a feeling that she is a natural genjutsu type, given her superb control of chakra."

Hokage raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and pray tell, what was Naruto-kun up to all these time?"

Anko smirked, "Ah, he developed his original technique into something better. He called it the 'Kaen Rin' _(Blaze Wheel)_ and it was able to nullify the B-rank wind defensive jutsu that I pulled up, and mind you, I could tell he was holding back. The wind fuelled the fire and the heat was intense, I had no doubt that I would not have been able to block it had I underestimated the brat."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow whilst others gasped, "Whoa Anko, quite the humble girl today. Are you telling me that he _could_ have killed you if he wanted to."

Anko grinned sadistically, "Are we jealous Kakashi? Looks like someone's technique might rival your Chidori soon, hehehe……"

Kakashi chuckled, "To be honest, I would look forward to it. If he can indeed defeat my Chidori……well, we can tell a lot could be expected from him. But right now, I assume that it is classified as a B-rank technique?"

Sandaime Hokage chuckled before shaking his head, "No, it will be classified as a high B-rank Assassination technique, just below your Chidori Kakashi. And Anko, are you certain?"

If anything, Anko's grin widened even more, "Hai, Hokage-sama, Genin team 6, consisting of Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura, led by Mitarashi Anko, requesting for permission to begin missions."

Sarutobi nodded, and with a rare smile, he stamped the report. Four huge letters in red were printed across the page. **PASS**.

* * *

**_Next morning…… _**

"Ne-chan! You make sure you take good care of yourself!"

Kireki chuckled and patted him on the head, "Hai, hai, I will otouto _(Younger brother)_. Now, remember to practice the Hirameki techniques. Well, then, I have to go."

Naruto nodded, before enveloping Kireki in a huge hug, "Be safe."

"You too." And with that, Kireki dashed off towards the gates, leaving a slightly depressed Naruto behind.

_Aww man…alone……AGAIN. Great…… _

**_Kit, just to let you know, it's a quarter to seven, I suggest you make your way over there fast. _**

_Fine, fine, ah well, can't be sad over something that can't change. Let's go! Training! YEAH! _

**_……Kit, I swear……do you have to be bi-polar? _**

_Eh? What's that mean? _

**_………… _**

_Haha, I'm just messing with ya. _

**_…………I'm not impressed you know…… _**

_Oh, really? You don't want me to introduce a certain 'guy' into your cage…… _

**_NONONONONONO! Anything but that! Kit, don't you dare…… _**

_Not so mighty now are you…… _

**_Grrr………… _**

_What was that? _

**_…………… _**

_Che, lazy fox, sleeping again…… _

* * *

**_Fifteen minutes later…… _**

"Yo! I'm not late am I?"

"Naru-kun!" cheered Ino as she gave him a hug. Sakura merely shook her head at her friends entrance. Honestly, must he be so cocky? I mean, who the hell comes at like, seven a.m. sharp? As in 7.00.00 am. Not joking.

"Where's Anko?" asked Naruto as he looked around.

"Not here yet, well, guess she overslept maybe, she always does that."

"Always does what?"

Everyone spun around to see a vibrant Anko with a Cheshire grin on her face. "Now, now, talking behind other people's backs is a very bad habit. Piggy-chan, I think you just caused your whole team to be punished." If anything, her expression turned more sadistic in a matter of seconds, "Now, I suggest you run, I'll give you five minutes head start. Oh, and if I catch you……there will BE NO MERCY."

Needless to say, Sakura and Ino dashed into the forests as quick as they can, leaving an amused Naruto behind. "Honestly, do you have to do that every time?"

Anko chuckled, "Well, it gets them alert. Now, Naru-chan, what say you we get started."

Naruto sighed and muttered, "Kage Bunshin no jutsu." In an instant, four clones 'poof-ed' into existence. Followed by "HENGE!" And soon, four perfect clones of Naruto, Sakura, Ino and Anko appeared.

Anko grinned and chucked them several scrolls, "Here ya go, those are the missions for today, make sure you guys finish them all."

Naruto gave a silent command and all the clones sped off into the distance. And then, he turned back to Anko, getting into his taijutsu stance, getting an amused chuckle from Anko, "Oh, so forward today Naru-chan, ready for my show of love so soon?"

Naruto deadpanned, "Yeah, yeah, your love is very much appreciated, thanks." Before he turned serious, "But hey, who said anything about you fighting me?"

Anko raised an eyebrow, "And what exactly……"

Naruto had already answered the question, it was the definite stance of Ryuudou Gensou Ken _(Flowing Illusions fist)_. "Shirataki: Hirameki Hyaku Nijuu-go Shou! _(Waterfall: One Hundred and Twenty Five Flash palms)_"

In an instant, he disappeared from the spot, and as he picked up speed, he flashed out his strikes one after another, gathering speed by the moment, never staying in one spot more than a second, and with just that one move, he had totally caught Anko by surprise.

The palms were weaving a web around her, faster and faster, slowly, the space allowed for Anko to dodge decreased and as the attack was coming to an end, Anko was frustrated as hell, "KUSO GAKI! _(Shitty Brat)_" roared Anko as she blocked palm after palm.

It was brilliant. Naruto had worked at this technique tirelessly; it was the second advanced technique on the Ryuudou Gensou style. The first was used against Mizuki, the _Hayase: Hirameki Nijuu-go shou (Swift Current: Twenty five flash palms)_. The word Hirameki _(Flash)_ says it all. To blind the enemy with speed, to dazzle the enemy with illusions, to tire the enemy, to _win_.

Naruto wasn't going for a win here; he just wanted a _much _more interesting head start. Hell, he knew his team would need it. And so, as he dashed off into the woods right after that attack, with a very pissed off Anko right behind him, along with the screams of 'baka' shot at him from Sakura and Ino, Naruto found it all very amusing.

In fact, he had no idea what the joy deep within his heart was, he laughed. Hard. He finally found out where he belonged. He was wrong when he thought he was going to be alone again. _No……I still have them. I'm not alone anymore……I've……grown up. _

And so, with Naruto's continued laughter, and Anko's constant, "I'll teach you to laugh after I'm done with you!" Team 6, with two very reluctant girls and a very amused boy, began their first ever training session with their 'beloved' sensei.

_Oh, you brats. You'll know why I'm known as Konoha's Snake Mistress for a reason. _

_Naruto no BAKA! Now he's got Anko sensei all crazy! Oh crap! Gotta leave this spot. _

_Honestly, I hate to say it, but Naru-kun's got some nerve to rile up Anko. Sigh, AH! She found me already? _

_Minna, asobi no jikan wa kaishi da! (Everyone, time to play!) _

* * *

**_Well, well, surprises? Lol. Any questions, just ask. Hope you liked it. I found it very funny at the end, don't know why. Haha. Anyways, that's all for this chap. More missions to come I assure you guys. Oh, and don't forget to vote! XD _**


	11. Encounter

**_A/N: Thanks guys! Really appreciate those reviews. Now, the poll is as follows. _**

**_11 for Sasuke Bashing, 3 against. There. I reckon it's pretty much decided but you can still vote if you want to. Check Author's Note at end of story, there is something I need you guys to tell me. _**

**_Oh and some of you had been very considerate, basing your votes on the possibilities of me getting bashed by the Sasuke fans! SO CONSIDERATE! I could cry in happiness but that'll be too corny, so you guys will just have to settle for a huge THANKS!!!! _**

**_By the way, for those who are interested in a Naruto Anko romantic relationship, check out my latest oneshot, "I Like You". Loads of angst, bittersweet romance, and loads of crazy stuff. NaruAnko. XD _**

**_Alright, time for more humour and fun! Action as well. Enjoy this chap! Hope you like it. _**

**_Disclaimer: I would definitely make Naruto a pimp if I owned the series. Honestly, think of the possibilities! SO FUN! XD _**

* * *

I Will Believe 

Chapter 11: Encounter 

"This is IT! You shall have NO MERCY! NOW DIE!" roared Naruto as he flung four kunai with deadly accuracy towards the target.

Whether it was by skill or pure chance, the target gave a wild 'meep' before getting into an insanely awkward position and avoiding all four by a few centimeters.

Naruto landed on the tree branch, slowly inching his way towards the target, his grin getting more sadistic by the moment, "Come on, come on, say hello to your executioner……"

And just then, two fists bashed him in the head, sending him onto the ground. "Naruto no baka! Look what you've done!" yelled Sakura as she quickly helped the poor cat out of the 'less than ideal' situation.

"DAMN IT! I was sooooo close, SOOOO close to killing it……" Another punch.

Ino merely sighed at her team leader. Honestly……

Anko appeared at that moment, "Yosh! Congratulations on completing the REAL fifth mission! Eh? What's wrong with Naruto?"

Naruto was currently being stomped into the ground by Sakura for daring to murder the target of the mission. It was D-rank, a simple retrieval mission. The Fire Daimyo's wife had lost her 'cuuuuute' pet cat, Tora-chan, and so, Team 6 was sent to find it. The Hokage felt that letting clones do all the missions would not be enough, so occasionally, he would order Team 6 to _actually_ participate in a mission.

And the fact that they've been assigned this same mission thrice is saying something……especially the fact that Naruto _hates_ that cat with a passion.

"Sakura-chan, just let me slice a limb off……OUCH!"

"Naruto! How could you? Look at it, all scared and shivering……" cooed Sakura as she petted the cat.

"IT'S A DEVIL! Look at this! Just look at all the scratches this little blob of crap gave me!" Naruto yelled with anime-demonic eyes.

This time, it was Ino that smacked him on the head, "Naruto, language."

Naruto spun around faster than a Hyuga can do Kaiten, "NANI?! _(What?!)_ I'm a freaking shinobi! I can swear like a sailor for all I care!"

Again, another smack. "ARE YOU TWO DOING THIS FOR FUN?!" **_Smack._**

"Grrr……you're pushing it……" **_Smack._**

"THAT'S IT! GIVE ME THE CAT! IT'S GONNA DIE RIGHT NOW!" roared Naruto as he charged at the terrified animal, who quickly dashed out of Sakura's hug and made a run for the forest, with a maniacal Naruto right on it's tail……literally.

Anko, Ino and Sakura couldn't help but sigh. _Jesus, it's just a small cute cat……Naruto just has to be so troublesome……I did not just say that…….damn Shikamaru for rubbing off on me…… _

Well, technically, you can't blame the poor fellow for wanting revenge on the cat. During the first retrieval mission, just as the cat was about to be caught, it _clawed_ at Naruto's 'jewels' and oh boy, had it not been for the years of training Naruto had endured, he would have been hit right on.

So obviously, Naruto had a reason for the grudge, even if he is a bit too enthusiastic and sadistic to carry it out……

Anko sighed, _Long day coming up…… _

* * *

**_At the Hokage's office after the mission…… _**

"Oh my Tora-chan! I MWISSSED YOU!!!!" screamed the Fire Daimyo's wife in glee as she continuously rubbed her blubber-like cheek against Tora-chan's face. The comedic tears coming from its face is more than enough to prove that really, the owner is the reason why the cat runs away.

Only Naruto seemed to be enjoying every minute of this. He could be heard whispering in glee, "That's right, hug him tighter! Mwhahaha, tighter, tighter, suffocate him, that's right……"

Multiple sweatdrops were seen on the shinobis present in the office. Sandaime Hokage cleared his throat and made a mental note to NOT assign Naruto's team this mission any more, for fear of the young blond's sanity.

After the little scene, the Fire Daimyo's wife left with her cat and so, Team 6 is currently waiting patiently in front of the Hokage's office (Except Naruto) for another mission. With Naruto's clones, in just three days, they've completed thirty-six missions, that's like twelve per day, and so the Hokage has ordered them to do the rest themselves, in order to keep them occupied.

"Ne, ne, Oji-san, what's next? I swear if I see that cat again……" A murderous aura began to surround Naruto, and if one could see inside of Naruto's mind, they would find the very impressive sight of Kyuubi guffawing at Naruto's antics.

"Ma, Naruto, your team's next mission……well, seeing you have so much stress, I'll give you this one, here, your fortieth D-rank, _There have been constant complains from females that a certain pervert is peeping on them at the Hot Springs. Find out what is going on._ Or so it says, do you accept?" asked a very amused Hokage, knowing full well who that pervert is. _Ah, my disciple, enjoy your life today, for it's about to come to a short end……_

Sakura, Ino and Anko were furious, their eyes were spitting fire and for a second, they seemed more powerful than Kyuubi himself, which he had stated whilst quivering within Naruto.

"OF COURSE WE ACCEPT IT! RIGHT NARUTO?!" Both teenage girls glared at the blond, making him sweatdrop.

_Why are they angry at me? _

**_Probably because you're a male, and males never win against the opposite sex. _**

_You've got a point. _

**_Kit, for your sake and mine, I suggest you agree quickly, besides, this will be another chance to get into their good books. _**

_Like duh, I get to relieve my stress and destroy the pervert, they, well, yeah, I almost feel pity for him……almost. _

**_………You just like seeing others beat up by them eh? _**

_Like hell yeah! Why should I be the only one to suffer their wrath? _

**_………… _**

_What? _

**_……yeah, you're whipped. _**

_………Shut up. _

**_Right. _**

Naruto quickly snapped back into the real world. "Definitely! We'll take it! It's about time that bastard got totaled!" He announced, determination in his eyes, though they secretly stared at his teammates to see what their reaction was.

Sakura was smiling widely and Ino was cooing at how Naruto was such a gentleman. _Yeah, that was THE right choice. No doubt. _

Anko grabbed the scroll and after giving Naruto a quick ruffle on the head, she motioned for the team to follow her, "Okay, this will be your first ever solo mission, as in without a jounin sensei following you. Naruto, I trust that you'll finish this mission with the utmost efficiency, are we clear?"

Naruto merely stared at her. Her hand was in her pockets, inching ever so slowly towards her wallet. Her mouth was drooling slightly. Her eyes were wide with excitement.

Naruto deadpanned, "You just want to go and eat dango eh?"

Anko faked a pout, "Aww, so smart! But anyways, bye!" And off she 'poof-ed'.

Naruto sighed, "This is ridiculous, our sensei choosing food over us, dango no less. Kami must be a female……I should not have said that."

Ino and Sakura were giving off their 'devil' auras again. "What was that Naru-kun?"

"Mind repeating that Naruto?"

Naruto gulped and immediately changed the topic, "So, who's ready for some pervert beating?!" His grin was there again, only to falter when both girls, blushing crimson smashed him into the ground. "KYAAA! NARUTO NO BAKA!" and "I-AH!!! _(NOO!!!) _HENTAI!" and with that, both girls, still blushing marched off towards their destination.

_What the hell did I do this time…… _

**_Kit, I think you should rephrase that sentence…… _**

_I just said……pervert beating……THE HELL?! How can you misunderstand that?! _

**_Don't look at me. Just give it up. _**

Naruto sighed as he picked himself up and glared in the direction where snickers could be heard. Iruka was seriously stuffing his fist inside his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud. The Hokage was chuckling and the others……

He rolled his eyes and ran off towards the hot springs, intent on making that certain pervert pay for his mishap today.

* * *

**_At the Hot Springs…… _**

"Ne……don't you think that we were a little mean to Naruto? I mean, I'm sure he didn't mean it that way. He always hated perverts." Ino whispered to Sakura as they hid in the bushes.

Sakura bit her lips and hesitantly nodded, "Yeah……guess we overreacted. We should say sorry."

Both girls sighed and looked towards Naruto who was currently sitting like ten metres away from them, face intent on looking anywhere but at the girls, just in case the girl accuse him of being a pervert or something.

Two pairs of subtle footsteps were enough to alert him. He turned his head slightly, and giving a small smile, he asked nervously, "Er, what's up girls?" His slight twitching was noticed and both girls immediately gave him their usual friendly hug, "Naruto, gomen, we er……heard you wrong just now……so, we're here to apologize."

_And just how in the nine levels of hell did you interpret what I was saying? _

**_Kit, you don't want to know…… _**

_…………… _

Naruto sighed and shook his head, "It's okay. Stuff happens. Now, come on, we've got a ……mis…sion…to……grrr……"

Sakura and Ino looked at him, totally confused as to why Naruto suddenly got angry.

In less than a second, Naruto charged past them with Shunpo and snarled, "YOU DIRTY SON OF A BITCH! FOUND YA, YOU SICK PERVERT!"

Both girls merely stood there dumbfounded, before turning around to see an old man with long spiky white hair squatting at a small crack on the wall of the female side in the spring, giggling in a very perverted fashion all the while.

But apparently, Naruto's shout got his attention, and in a second, he turned around, eyebrow raised, and forming a ram seal, a huge 'poof' of smoke was seen before he appeared once again, seated on something that looked like a huge as toad……if you ignore the swords and metal bracers it wore.

And as if on cue, the toad's tongue flung out and wrapped itself around Naruto, totally ignoring Naruto's yelp of surprise, it raised high up into the air before slamming him down straight into the hot springs. "ATSUI! ITAI!!!! _(HOT! OUCH!)_"

"Taku, stop yelling that loud brat. If the beauties found out and ran, what am I gonna do?" grumbled the old man, eyebrow still raised, face set in a totally lazy expression, left arm supporting his cheek, eyeing Naruto with distaste. He had two significant thin strips of red from the bottom of his eyes down to his chin. His forehead protector had the word 'Abura' _(Oil)_ on it. He wore an olive-colored outfit with a red singlet-vest thingy on top of it. _(**A/N: Again, apologies because I seriously can't describe clothes. :P)**_

Sakura's eyes widened for a moment, before yelling out, "Naruto!" Ino was flabbergasted by his appearance a stood rooted to the spot.

After a few seconds, Naruto dashed out of the hot spring and Kaen Rin ready. "You'll pay for that!" The flames seem to react to his anger and turned golden-blue, "Take that!"

Ino yelled, "Naruto! Stop it! You might kill him!" after finally getting out the initial shock.

The old man looked amused, "Ho? What's that? Omoshiroi _(Interesting)_, let's see how well it stands up to _this_." And to Sakura and Ino's utmost surprise, chakra began to gather on the old man's left hand, and quick as a flash, the chakra formed before their eyes and took on the shape of a sphere, with the chakra within spiraling furiously, just like a mini-hurricane.

Naruto, not one, to be put down, increased the intensity of the attack, allowing the rings of flame to spin even faster and yelled, "Alright, you asked for it! Ginka: Kaen Rin! _(Golden Flames: Blaze Wheel)_"

The old man's grin widened, "Nice power, now let's test it, Rasengan!" **BOOM!**

Both attacks clashed, causing quite an explosion to occur, but luckily, they were in the wide space behind the hot springs, so close to no damage occurred. Naruto at first thought he was winning, but soon, he was pushed to a draw, before slowly; he felt he was being caught within the spiral.

"What the……?" and right there, the attacks cancelled each other to reveal the pervert smirking and with one swift grab, he caught hold of Naruto's hand and flung him back into the hot spring.

"ATSUI!!!!!! _(HOT!!!)_"

"Hmph, Gaki, not bad, able to hold your own with a low level Rasengan. Name?"

Naruto coughed, before he was helped out of the spring by Sakura and Ino, all shocked at what just happened. This old pervert……just nullified Naruto's strongest assassination attack. _Who the hell is he?_

"Uzumaki Naruto! The best-ever future Hokage!" yelled a panting Naruto, trying to get on his feet. His chakra was almost used up, seeing how he went through loads of missions today and the toll of the Kage Bunshin was having some effect on him.

The old man looked stunned for a moment, before smirking, "Uzumaki huh? I see. So, where did you learn that jutsu? Seems pretty strong for even a Chuunin. And seeing you're just a brat, ha, you're genin at best."

Naruto looked offended and snarled, "I made that jutsu! I created it!"

The old man stared for a moment, "You…made it? Yourself? You're able to manipulate your element this early?"

Naruto huffed, "Hell yeah! Now who the heck are you? You old pervert!"

The old man glared, "Shut up! I was doing research before a stupid brat like you interrupted!"

"Oh really? RESEARCH?! ISN'T THAT JUST PEEPING ON NAKED WOMEN IN BATHS?!"

Now, what happens when a person yells? Normally, the people within the range of two-five metres would be able to hear. Okay, what happens when a person yells in a wide open space? That five metres changes to ten. And finally, what happens when that person happens to be Uzumaki Naruto, A.k.a, loudest person in Konohagakure?

Everyone hears it……including the naked women bathing in the hot springs. And what was their reaction?

"KYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" screamed the women before they dashed out of the hot springs, clinging onto their towels, running for their lives.

"Ah-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BA! BAKA BAKA BAKA!!!! Look what you just did!!!" cried the depressed pervert, before glaring at Naruto right in front of his face, "Now you ruined my research! You damn brat!"

"Che, whatever pervert!"

"BRAT!"

"PERVERT!"

"I'm NOT a pervert!"

"Whatever! We have proof! Stop trying to-"

The old man shut him up with the next sentence, the smirk growing wider by the second, "I'm a SUPER pervert. MWAHAHAHAHA!" His fingers stroking imaginary……assets as he said this.

Naruto could only stare as he gritted his teeth, "Kuso……he actually admitted it."

Just as they were about to resume the staring contest, Sakura finally spoke up, "You…you're Jiraiya-sama right? Ano Densatsu no Sannin no Gama Sennin _(That Toad Hermit of the Legendary Three Ninjas) _right?"

Naruto frowned, "Sakura-chan, how can you still call him sama?"

Ino bopped him on the head, "Baka! This is _the_ Jiraiya-sama! Even if he is a pervert!"

The old man gave a small mysterious chuckle, "Ho? Looks like someone recognizes me after all, that's right, I am Jiraiya. My name is known throughout the lands, for my handsomeness, my strength and my writing skills! I am THE LEGENDARY TOAD SENNIN, JIRAIYA-SAMA!!" All throughout his speech, he was doing that weird dance thing as an introduction and ended in the position with him standing on his toad and his right hand stretched out, palm open and that same proud smirk on his face.

Silence………and sure enough, the crows got their cue and came flying into the scene, yelling out in voices that seemed to say, "Aho…aho…_(idiot)_"

All three sweatdropped. Are all strong people weird?

_Let's see, Hokage-jisan, smokes and a pervert, check. _

_Mitarashi Anko, sadistic bitch, check. _

_Hatake Kakashi, reads perverted books and always late. Check. _

**_Yeah, kit, you finally found the trend. _**

Naruto snorted at that, "No comment."

Jiraiya sweatdropped before jumping of the frog that 'poof-ed' a moment later. "So what brings you three gakis here?"

"We were sent here to find a pervert that females kept complaining of. Turns out it was you. You're lucky Anko-chan isn't here, she would roast you."

Jiraiya paled at that, "Er……your sensei……"

Naruto smirked, "Mitarashi Anko."

Jiraiya gulped, "Right, got it." And he cleared his throat, "So, you're the……" His hands made a funny motion.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "If you're talking about my tenant, then yes."

Jiraiya nodded, "Well, you should know that I taught the Yondaime when he was alive then."

Sakura and Ino gasped, "Really? I thought that was just a rumour."

Naruto stared at him long and hard, "That jutsu……what is it?"

"Huh? You don't know? Ah, I see, Sarutobi didn't tell you did he? No matter, you're not old enough. But how about I make a deal with you?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, "What deal?"

Jiraiya whispered, "I'll train you and your girls if you keep quiet about my research."

Sakura and Ino froze, _Keep quiet about this pervert?!!! _

"Kotowaru _(I refuse)_" Naruto answered without hesitation.

"NANI?!"

"I HATE perverts. End of story. So don't try using jutsus as a way of bribing us. Sakura and Ino aren't MY girls; I hate it when people refer to Kunoichi as objects." His eyes were cold, as though some bad memories were brought up.

Sakura and Ino stood behind him, kunais ready, just in case the Sannin decided to punish Naruto for his retort. _Naru-kun…… _

Jiraiya stared for a moment, before laughing, "Yep, too alike. Ma, wakata, wakata, report me if you want. But still, I want to train you."

That surprised everyone, especially Naruto, "Huh?"

Jiraiya grinned, "That's the spirit I like, gaki, consider yourself lucky, after all these years, you'll be the first person ever to learn this jutsu from me, behold, the second hardest A-rank jutsu created by the Yondaime Hokage Namikaze Minato, Rasengan."

* * *

**_Yeah, I kinda wanted it to be a sort of cliffhanger, not sure if it worked. But this chapter was FUN! LOL. I loved it. And also, rasengan is stronger that Kaen Rin, the fact that they cancelled out was because Jiraiya didn't go all out. _**

**_Now, for the poll! Do you guys want me to: _**

**_(1) _****_Write a NarutoxBleach Crossover, starting from the part where Naruto died, failing to save Sasuke at the Valley of the ends. _**

**_(2) _****_Write a NarutoxOne Piece Crossover, stating how all fails, and Konoha is on the verge of destruction and Naruto is forced by Akatsuki into another dimension. Begins maybe Alabasta arc. _**

**_(3) _****_Another Naruto story, starting from the beginning, where he is trained in the departments of speed. Born to be the best, trained to be the best. Pairings: NaruHaku. Haku is a female. May become Harem. _**

**_Pairings will be NaruHarem, though maybe only five at most. We'll see. Both are long stories. _**

**_I will not do any other crossovers, because, well, those 2 animes and mangas I'm most familiar with. MAYBE Inuyasha…maybe. If you guys vote for it, it may come out. Please, vote for one only. Don't say, "OMG, I LOVE ALL 3!" Ain't gonna happen bro. _**

**_And so, it ends once again! Thanks guys! Hope you enjoyed it! XD _**


	12. Warmth

**_A/N: Me again. Lol, alright, all voting stops NOW!!! XD _**

**_Sasuke bashing is confirmed though I promise, it won't be too bad, he'll just get owned by Naruto over and over. HAHA. _**

**_Reviews! OH those lovely reviews! Keep them coming! You have no idea how much they mean to me! They are like my mana or something. Meh, Dunnoe. Anyways, glad that this story is going so far. My hated, bloody annoying 'rival' at school had the nerve to comment that an Asian like me could never write decent English. THE NERVE! I got Ninety-two for my exam, he got sixty-three. Showed him, I did. XD _**

**_Alright, enough babbling, here we go again. Chapter twelve. ENJOY! That's right folks, bloody well enjoy it! _**

**_Disclaimer: Bring it! I dare you lawyers to utter a word. One word, and I'll Kaen RIn your asses into ash. XD _**

* * *

I Will Believe 

Chapter 12: Warmth

"Grrr……I…_hate_…balloons………" growled Naruto he repeated the procedure once again. It was so damn _annoying_! I mean, who the hell holds a balloon filled with water and just practices trying to make it explode all day long non-stop? Apparently, Naruto does. 

And he doesn't like it one bit. Oh, he can do it alright. Yeah, with two hands. Lame. He wasn't happy at all when he found out that he finished the exercise within a day _(Note, as in three hours)_ using two hands……when you're supposed to be able to do it any time, any place using one hand……

His chakra control was good, no doubt……but like……it just won't work. No idea why the heck it doesn't. Jiraiya was guffawing at the look on his face when he failed to burst that goddamn balloon for the hundredth time, and just as he was going to bash the old man up, he heard a quiet mewing and spun around……only to find Tora-chan playing with his 'balloons'.

It rolled the balloon between its paws, left and right, left and right and **bang**! And just like that, the balloon burst. Naruto couldn't handle it anymore, he was _this _close to going berserk, or so quoted by the Legendary Pervert Sennin.

Sakura and Ino sighed and knew what Naruto was thinking. He got beaten by his ultimate enemy……the shame…_the shame……_

And so, here was Naruto once again, trying to figure out the control required. He just found it extremely difficult to maintain several different spirals at the same moment. His Kaen Rin _(Blaze Wheel)_ required one raging flame spiral and that was it, but the Rasengan apparently required at least five spirals. And that proved to be a problem.

Sure, Naruto's chakra control was good, but not _that_ good. And Naruto, being the perfectionist kept going at it, intent on getting it, and so here he was, at training ground 43, once again, willing his chakra to blow up the stupid……_Awww damn…that's the fiftieth! _

Just then, three figures popped back into view, "Yo! Naru-kun! How's training?" cheered Ino, feeling extremely happy that she played a major role in the recent missions.

Naruto merely grunted and shook his head. Sakura pouted, "Hey! We just came back from a B-rank assassination mission! Give us some credit!" Anko chuckled and ruffled Naruto's hair, earning her an annoyed glare, "Aw, what's wrong brat? _Cat_ got your tongue?"

Naruto sighed in exasperation and stood up wobbling, before giving a small smile at the girls, before asking about the mission, and congratulating them. Genin Team 6, led by Mitarashi Anko, has officially completed their fifth assassination mission. The first two had Anko leading them, teaching them what to do, the next two were led by Naruto, seeing that he was the captain of the team, and this latest one, was done basically by Sakura and Ino alone, with Anko supervising them, or _admiring their handiwork_, as she called it.

Each of the three genins has killed. Of course, it wasn't pleasant at all, but at least they've learned to cope with it. They had all gotten it on the second infiltration mission. It was supposed to be simple, a C-rank, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, they were forced to retreat and well, they got confronted and Naruto, as Captain, killed the leader and forced the others to scatter so that a path was cleared. That was his first Shinobi kill.

Sakura was protecting Naruto and without even realizing it, snapped a shinobi's neck with her Tora Tsume _(Tiger Claw)_. She had been deeply traumatized by that incident for awhile, but Naruto and Ino eventually cheered her up. Ino actually had it worst. Her kill was gruesome in a mental sense, for that's what it was. It was a family jutsu that her father taught her, only to use in severe conditions, and well, yeah, Ino used it then. It was called Ninpo: Kyoufu Rasshu no jutsu _(Ninja Arts: Terror Lash Technique)_ where it allows the user to probe deeply into the enemies' mind, bringing out one's true fears and placing them in a mind-induced oblivion.

It was horrible; the ninja Ino used it on had slashed at his own face with a kunai multiple times before killing himself. Ino just stood there in shock, rooted to the spot, had it not been for Anko, she would have killed herself too, for the jutsu has a side effect, namely, the user would get glimpses of what their enemy had experienced. It had taken Anko days of continued counseling to calm the girl down. Her father, Inoichi was more than shocked that she had to use that jutsu so soon, and apologized to her profusely and blaming it all on himself for teaching it to her.

Ino had finally recovered, with a much stronger resolve this time around. She understood the harshness of life and so did Naruto and Sakura. They grew strong and now had an even better understanding of each other. They treasure their times together even more and rarely ever quarreled. This latest mission was something like a test. Naruto had proven in the two missions that he led that he possessed superb leadership qualities, a quick cunningness and excellent combat skills.

In fact, the last mission showed off Naruto's strength and therefore, there wasn't much room of performance for Sakura and Ino, hence this time round, Anko ordered Naruto to stay and practice the first stage of Rasengan whilst _they_ went to collect another B-rank. He had sent a Kage Bunshin with them, just in case though.

"Naru-kun, so did you succeed?" chirped Ino as she plopped herself onto the grass beside her favorite blond _(Besides herself of course)_. Naruto sighed before holding the water balloon in his hand once again, "Getting there…but not quite." Indeed, several forces could be seen acting on the sides of the balloon it, giving it quite a rough surface, but not enough to penetrate it fully.

Anko gave a whistle, "Not bad, buuut, enough for one day, we're all getting some dango and have a good night's sleep! Tomorrow, I've requested a surprise for you guys!"

Sakura and Ino immediately backed away from Anko, skeptical looks on their faces, whereas Naruto merely snorted, "Yeah, yeah, surprises, one day, I swear I'll die because of your surprises."

Anko pouted, "Hey! That's not very nice!"

"Wasn't meant to be……OUCH! OI!"

"HA! That's what you get for messing with me!" Anko cheered before looking at Sakura and Ino with a slight jerk of the head towards Naruto. "Well, I gotta go then, my precious dango awaits! Bye!" And with that familiar 'poof', she disappeared from the training grounds.

Sakura and Ino looked at each other, before sighing and Ino started, "Naruto……"

Said blond just sat there, eyes closed, seemingly meditating, but then he spoke, "Sorry girls, can't walk you home tonight. I'll see you tomorrow." He got up and grabbed five more balloons before heading towards the lake, trying to find some clues in making the control easier.

* * *

**_An Hour later……deep into the night……_**

Naruto was lying on the ground, totally tired out. He growled and got up once again, and just as he was about to try once more, something stopped him. The soothing sounds of the waves flowing……flowing……His eyes widened……_flow………_

He quickly rushed to the lake, and grabbed a few pebbles, before flinging them as hard as he could into the water. And then, slowly, he watched, the ripples grew, larger and wider, and slowly colliding with the waves, and slowly, he began to see the situation in a new light. _Multiple spirals……revolving around one……affected by that one……_

He grinned, finally feeling hopeful after hours of pointless trying, before grabbing a water balloon and concentrated, closing his eyes, "Picture it……a huge sphere, spirals within, unruly, yet controlled……roaring, yet silent……" His eyes flashed open, chakra forming the exact same patterns that Ero-sennin used to make with _his_ water balloon and to his utmost joy, the balloon burst into pieces!

He had done it. First stage not just completed. He _mastered_ it……in twenty eight hours. He gave a huge sigh of relief before crashing down onto the ground, fully expecting the cold hard surface to welcome him, but instead, a pair of slender arms wrapped themselves around him and laid his head down on her lap.

"I-Ino?!" Naruto gasped, shocked that she was still here.

And there she was, in all her glory, smiling gently at him as she lightly massaged his face. "Naru-kun, you shouldn't stress yourself like that. Sakura and I were so worried!"

Naruto's mouth opened, as if to argue, but then, he closed his eyes and smiled, "Arigato na, Ino-hime." That grin was still stuck on his face, yet it was different. Ino knew it too and blushed. The only time she had ever seen Naruto grin _that_ way was when he was staring at her.

"Naruto……"

They had shared some alone time together quietly, and during her trauma, Naruto had been a perfect gentleman, accompanying her through the chaos of her mind, protecting her, reassuring her. Well, to others, it might not seem too special, but Ino knew better. It's just…she doesn't know how to put it. The way Naruto smiles at her always causes her heart to flutter, and she would feel dizzy with joy for some reason.

Was it because she knew that smile was just for her? Or was it because she liked his attention on her? She couldn't remember when it was that she had stopped treating him just like a friend. She wasn't sure what had caused it. She just knew that……the way she felt about Naruto……was totally different from before.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, before smiling, "Ino…you look beautiful right now, you know that?" He raised his hand and gently caressed her cheek before whispering again, "Relax and let your hair down sometimes eh?"

Ino bit her lips, "Naruto……I…I have to thank you for that time………"

Naruto closed his eyes, "It was nothing……" clearly remembering what exactly happened.

**_Flashback…… _**

_"INO! WHAT ARE YOU STANDING THERE FOR?! RUN!" yelled Sakura as she barely dodged from her assaulter. She had just taken out another Kumo nin, and was slowly but definitely making her way to the exit. _

_Ino didn't reply as she stood there, trembling at the thought of her mentally crippling a shinobi and causing him to commit suicide. Those terrible sights, those horrible illusions……she had felt it when she used that jutsu, and she saw his fears. She clutched her arms around herself, trying to stop the shivering but to no avail. It was horrible, and disgusting. She felt the urge to puke at the mere sight of the bloody shinobi. _

_She couldn't help it, she couldn't move, she…she…… _

_At that moment, just when Ino let down her guard, another huge Kumo-nin got behind her and raised his zanbato, "IT ALL ENDS HERE BITCH! DIE!" _

_But she felt nothing. She didn't even feel the fear of dying. She just stood there, totally accepting the blow, wanting it all to end. The killing intent, the chaos, the pain, the death, everything. Just end it……And she had closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable…… _

_"DODGE INO! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!" Cried Sakura as she watched helplessly from the side, battling the last two shinobi along with Anko. _

_Anko for the first time seemed anxious, "Damn it piggy! Stop freezing up like that! Get out of his way! GODDAMN IT! DON'T DIE INO!" _

_But the voices were just blurs to her. All she could hear were the screams, the cries of pain, the shrieks of fear…… 'Let it all end……' was all that she could think of. _

_But then, it wasn't to be so. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER YOU BASTARD!" Roared a furious Naruto as he stood right in the way of the Zanbato and took the hit for Ino. _

_Ino was shell-shocked, totally rooted to the spot, before crying out, "Naruto!" _

**_SLICE!_**_ Blood, everywhere. The zanbato was held on by Naruto's arm and quickly, he smashed his Kaen Rin into that Kumo-nin's chest, effectively ending his life. The cut was a deep one, he was bleeding profusely, and looked to be losing consciousness. _

_When he looked at her, his eyes were red, slit and downright menacing. He grabbed Ino's blouse roughly and pulled her close to him, cerulean eyes staring into pale blue, "Ino! If you EVER dare think of dying on us just like that, killed by some pathetic Kumo-nin who is of no importance, I swear to god, that I'll bring you back from hell and kill you again!" _

_Those words hurt. A lot. Or they should. But Ino didn't feel it. She didn't notice the words. It was Naruto's face that she focused on, and for a moment, she felt her heart wrench. _

_Naruto was crying. Silently, but crying nonetheless, tears were falling down and his face was full of sorrow, and she couldn't help it, she hugged him tightly, never wanting to let go, wanting to rid him of this pain. The pain she caused. _

_Naruto hugged her back and whispered into her ear, in the same gentle tone that he had reserved for them (Sakura and Ino) only, "If you were dead……what am I gonna do?" Ino bit her lips and restrained her tears as she saw the pain in his eyes, the fear of being alone, the dread of losing a precious one……And she had broken down. She had burst into tears right there and clung onto Naruto, crying out her apologies, over and over, even when Anko and Sakura came to calm her down, she had hugged them both and only kept murmuring, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry……" _

**_Flashback End…… _**

Naruto's injury healed after a few days, but the scar remained. But he never blamed Ino once, he instead, berated himself for not showing her enough care and concern. Sakura had been devastated by her actions and through all these, the three had gained a stronger bond.

That was on their fourth mission. And the reason why Naruto was allowed to practice by himself whilst the other three went again. Anko didn't want the girls to become too dependent on Naruto and also, she wanted Ino and Sakura to try out different tactics just in case Naruto couldn't be there in time.

And of course……Anko knew……that the main reason for Naruto not being able to concentrate on a supposedly easy task for him……was because of that mission. He couldn't take the shock. Ino could've died had he been a tad slower, and that thought was eating him inside out ever since.

It hurt…..to know that you couldn't totally protect those precious to you. And Naruto had been so confident as well. Kireki was absent and that had been another reason as well. He had no one to confide to. It was cold, the apartment. Just like before, and certain doubts resurfaced once again. The stress it had been causing him lately, well, had a _lot_ of negative effects.

Jiraiya knew it as well, after all, he got the reports of the missions of Sarutobi, but he had to restrict himself from helping Naruto, for he knew, that if he was unable to overcome his fears, he would not become strong. He _had_ to do it by himself.

And Naruto did. He meditated, had a long talk with Kyuubi and finally got over it. He hadn't forgotten about it, but he knew what to do. He would train, train to become so strong that he could protect all his precious ones. He would become the Hokage. And this was just a milestone, further strengthening his beliefs that his nindo was right. He could let it go, but he wouldn't give up.

But now, here he was, in Ino's lap, gazing into her eyes, feeling the love and care she had for him, and he knew why. Of course he should have known earlier. Kireki had teased him forever about it. He really _was_ a dobe. He _loved_ her. He loved Ino.

And so, he slowly got up and placed his hands on her shoulders, willing her eyes to peer into his very soul, that concern, that care, that bloody frustrating thing you call love when you don't even know about it. _THAT!_

Ino felt numb. She had realized it long ago, deep in her heart, but she had just kept telling herself to treat Naruto like a brother. But after that……she couldn't lie any longer. It wouldn't be fair to Naruto or herself, and that was why she came tonight. She needed to tell him, she_ had _to tell him. Here she was, mesmerized by his gentle gaze, joy dancing in those cerulean orbs.

They didn't have a moment's hesitation. Their lips met fiercely, the need of warmth, the want of love. It was passionate and gentle. Simple and clean would be the right words to describe it. It was just an action, a very intimate action to let the other know that right then, right there, he/she was the only person in their mind.

It was sweet and bitter at the same time, the joy of knowing that the other feels the same way, and the grief of bad memories. For a moment, all was still. It felt good, it felt great, it felt brilliant. Nirvana, heavenly, bliss whatever. The warmth…the feeling of love. It's complicated.

The kisses they had were short and quick. Both were unsure of their feelings. Both were immature. Both were only twelve. And so they pulled away, gasping for breath, Ino, shocked that she had the courage to give away her first kiss so suddenly, Naruto, stunned by what just happened.

They didn't know if what they did was right, they were only twelve and it was far too early to decide. But they do know one thing, that at least, the kisses weren't for naught. They liked each other. More than a friend, but less than a lover. 'Friends with benefits' some would call them, but they refuse to take it that way and they knew it.

Naruto sighed before taking Ino in his arms, pulling her into a light embrace, "For now…for now……"

Ino complied, for she too was confused. What she did was an act of impulse, but really, did she really love Naruto? Was it an act of gratitude or was it true love? She didn't dare say. Just like before, she didn't dare venture. The world is a stranger to her already……it was scary and threatening. She didn't want to get hurt or make some stupid mistake.

She was twelve. He was twelve. They just became teenagers. And so they just lay there, clinging onto each other, for fear that the same familiar cold may engulf them, the need for warmth apparent once again, only this time, they had someone to care. They had someone to be with. The loneliness disappeared.

Simultaneously, two sighs of relief were heard. They stared at each other for a moment, before bursting into laughter. All the troubling events and the tense situations they encountered dissolved into nothing. They were over it. And they were glad. Because they got over it together. And so they cheered.

Just some distance away, a certain figure lingered for awhile longer, before heading back. A sad smile was evident on her face, the sorrow and regret could be seen but an odd bit of happiness seemed to be present. She left quietly, just like the way she came.

* * *

**_The Next day……_**

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan, Ino-chan." Greeted Naruto as he entered the Hokage's office, one minute before the clock struck eight. Both girls smiled and returned it, before facing the Hokage just as their sensei appeared in a swirl of leaves.

Sandaime Hokage smiled warmly at the three, pleased to know that things were back to normal, before chuckling, "Alright, glad to see all of you on time. Now, as Anko requested the day before, I hereby grant you the permission to carry out your first A-rank mission."

All three looked surprised by pleased at the same time. One, it meant that the Hokage trusted their skill and their sensei. Two, it meant extra pocket money. Three, the fact that the normally strict and paranoid Iruka-sensei was smiling at them in pride was a bonus.

Naruto grinned widely, "So, what do you have in store for us?"

Anko grabbed the scroll of the table and faced them, "The assassination of the tyrant of Nami no Kuni _(Wave Country)_, Gatou."

* * *

**_Now, now, before you ask. No, not playing bias. But hey, NaruIno fans, hope you liked that. The scene just sort of appeared in my eyes, and I was like, woah, that could work. Lol, hope it did. XD_**

**_Haku will be a FEMALE. No exceptions. I refuse to believe that one of the most attractive characters is a male. I mean, the anime further proves the point. The Seiyu (Voice Actor) is a female, she flirts with Naruto. God. NO WAY someone as cute as her can be a male. _**

**_That aside, whew, review! Tell me how you liked the scene! I'm trying to write serious fluff instead of my usual fun and laughter fluff. Lol, check my latest oneshots! "I Like You" featuring NaruAnko, and "I Hate You" featuring NaruHanabi. Oh, and don't complain that they keep getting B-rank missions. You know they have the skill. _**

**_Alright! Finally done rambling. Remember, all voting stops. Next chapter would be the beginning of Wave Arc. Till then, C'ya! XD _**


	13. Battle

**_A/N: Yo, another update. Honestly, you guys must think I don't have a life by now, lol, practically I don't because I'm on study leave for end of year exams. And as everyone knows, revising can get damn boring after what, 1 hour:P _**

**_Anyways, recently, I've read a lot of slightly dark, very creative fanfics and I have to say that it opened my eyes…lol. It makes me aware that the angst I write is child's play compared to theirs. Brilliant works. Just check my favorites if you want to see them. Lol, I have soo many. Haha. _**

**_Now, let's get on with the show. Time for some action……and of course, part of the fluff for NaruSaku that I planned. And well, I hope you guys enjoy it. _**

**_Disclaimer: I would love to own Naruto, but then, I'm poor. So no, sorry. SHAME IN YOUR FACE LAWYERS! Erhem... XD _**

* * *

I Will Believe 

Chapter 13: Battle 

"Gato? As in that…oh! Hmph, sure thing." Naruto frowned at that name. He had heard it many times, especially from Anko, and since then, he has been itching to kill that bastard. Sakura and Ino however, were confused as to the sudden fury Naruto was showing.

Anko saw that and explained, "Gato is a powerful shipping magnate whose shipping company is actually a front for smuggling illegal goods and dealing drugs. He takes control of Nami no Kuni _(Wave Country)_ shipping routes and creates a monopoly by isolating the country from the outside world, preventing free import and export. He was the one responsible for turning Nami no Kuni into a poor, hunger-stricken country."

Gasps of shock were heard and Naruto cussed, "That good-for-nothing piece of shrimp blubber, hires missing-nins and mercenaries as bodyguards and tries to kill anyone that dare oppose him. I heard from Ibiki that one guy called Kaiza, supposedly the country's hero, got killed by him."

Anko tilted her head, "Really? How did Ibiki know? He didn't even tell me."

Naruto deadpanned, "Oh yes he did, but you were to drunk from the sake. And well, it was because he was right there at that time, interrogating several 'mercenaries' for information. Hokage-ji-san, who ordered this mission?"

Sarutobi chuckled before motioning towards the door, "Come on in."

All three gulped, wanting to know who actually had the courage to stand up to this tyrant. And in came Jiraiya. Cue face fault.

"What?! ERO-SENNIN?!"

"BAKA GAKI!" growled Jiraiya as he smacked Naruto on the head, "I told you not to call me that."

"Then why don't you STOP your perve…mpmmmmph" Naruto was about to reveal it before Jiraiya clamped his hand onto his mouth, looking nervously at a peeved Anko, "Er, nothing important, nothing at all……" Cue sweatdrop.

"Gaki, I just came to lecture you on your second stage. Can't you show some respect?" Jiraiya groaned, exasperated.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "So, you didn't order this mission? Who is it then?"

"That would be us." Spoke a soft voice as a blue-clad figure entered the room, followed by……

"Kireki-ne-chan! Okaeri! _(Welcome back!)_" Naruto was ecstatic, for there she was, Hyuga Kireki, along with an amused female.

"Nice brat you got there Kire-chan, so he's……Ah, Hokage-sama."

"Oh ho ho, welcome back, Minagi. It has been a while hasn't it?"

"Indeed, Hokage-sama, six years……" muttered the woman with light brown hair, her eyes were an onyx black, with a tint of light red (Almost pink) around her pupils, yet they held such power that one wouldn't dare to offend. One could even say she was arrogant, given her posture and smirk. She was wearing standard ninja gear, only difference was that hers were made up of blue, crimson and white. There was a scar on her cheek, but it didn't hinder the beauty, far from it, it brought out a more feral side of her and made her all the more desirable."

Naruto gaped, "So…so…you're……"

The woman chuckled before turning to Naruto, "Hai, hai, Uchiha Minagi, at your service. Anko!" squealed the lady as she ran towards the purple-haired jounin and gave her a big hug, which surprisingly, was returned immediately.

"Minagi-chan! You're back! Finally……it was getting so boring……"

"I know! Awwww, Anko-chan!"

To say the rest were disturbed would be an understatement, Naruto's eyeballs were flying out, _OH MY GOD, THERE'S TWO OF THEM! _

Sakura and Ino were along the same lines, until Sakura snapped out of her confusion, "But, I thought all the Uchihas were……" She didn't know if she should continue the subject.

Minagi sighed, "No, no, I'm still her and alive and kicking. I left Konoha six years ago, and somehow, I was lucky enough to miss the massacre. Hmph, I doubt he would have been able to kill me then, I'm not the Hikari no Suzaku for nothing. Besides, I've already obtained Mangekyo Sharingan, and more experienced, so I might have been able to stop it………"

Her eyes flashed red and in an instant, three tomoes appeared in her pupils, before connecting together to form the Mangekyo Sharingan. "I've some……very bad memories of my clan……so I would appreciate it if you don't bring it up."

Sarutobi frowned, "Minagi, it wasn't your fault that Obi……"

"Don't……just…don't." Her tone sounded angry for a second, before she returned to her soft voice, "Let's just get the mission objectives over with, and I'll give you the information I've collected Hokage-sama."

Kireki and Anko could be seen glancing at each other and shaking their heads. Sarutobi nodded reluctantly and said, "Okay, Team 6, assassination of Wave Tyrant Gato, A-rank. And also, I would like you to take up a C-rank mission of helping out Team 7 led by Hatake Kakashi. They are supposed to be escorting a bridge builder but I fear that missing-nins may be involved."

Naruto noticed the tension in the air as the name Kakashi was mentioned and immediately stood forward and said, "Understood, we shall do our best to accomplish the mission. Sakura, Ino, we meet at the main gate in half an hour."

Both girls nodded, before giving a bow to the Hokage and leaving the office. Naruto was about to leave too but then, a question had been in his mind, "Hokage-ji-san, no disrespect, but is it Team 7 we are to protect……or is it just Uchiha Sasuke?"

Minagi's eyes narrowed at that, "Sasuke? Ah……that arrogant little brat."

Sarutobi sighed, "Naruto, you know the council."

"Indeed, so that's why Kakashi was chosen. Haha, Inu-san. Hehe. Ah well, good to be able to see him again. Oi, ero-sennin, what's the second stage?"

Jiraiya drooped his head and sighed, "There's no way that you'll stop calling me that is there?"

"NOPE!" grinned Naruto.

Jiraiya sighed and threw him a rubber ball, about the same size as the water balloon last time.

Jiraiya smirked, "Now burst that." And as he raised the rubber ball in his hand, that familiar shaking and squirming of the ball was seen once again, before it exploded into powder.

"Woah……" Naruto gaped at Jiraiya. Kireki and Minagi looked surprised, "Is that……"

But they were stopped by Naruto's enthusiasm, "COOL! Ano sa, ano sa, do you reckon I could use that and put it in my Kaen Rin?"

Jiraiya thought for a moment, "You should be able to, besides, it's just form manipulation. It should be easier this time round. But I've got an extra mission." He threw the ball to Naruto's left hand, "Burst two at once if you can."

Sarutobi and the others were treated to the scene of Naruto gaping like a fish, and sputtering to, "Two…two…TWO AT ONCE?!"

"That will teach you to call me Ero-sennin. Well then, time to get to my resear……Erhem. Bye." And he quickly 'poof-ed' off, in fear of the females' wrath in this room.

Naruto muttered a string of curses before Kireki tapped him on the forehead, "Naruto, what have I told you about language?"

"Not to swear in front of ladies……" muttered Naruto.

Minagi and Anko chuckled at the scene of the ever-strict Kireki lecturing a pouting Naruto on the importance of manners. That scene was way too familiar. After Kireki finished her speech, Naruto was almost falling asleep. Anko, sensing the rage within Kireki at the sight of a drooling Naruto, immediately grabbed him and yelled, "Sorry ne-chan, don't want to be late for our mission!" and shunshin-ed to the main gate.

Minagi was laughing hard at the shocked expression on Kireki's face, as was everyone in the office. "Haha, Kire-chan, you got outsmarted! Trust Anko-chan to come up with something like this."

Sarutobi waited for the laughter to quiet down before speaking to Minagi, "So, I reckon you'll take up the kid's training of ninjutsu?"

Minagi closed her eyes for a moment, before breaking into a wide grin, "Of course. After all, how often do you come across a brat with five elemental affinities? I must get him to learn combinations of them……oooh, the joy!"

Everyone sweatdropped at the possibility of another pyromaniac awakening. Uchiha Minagi, Hikari no Suzaku……self-proclaimed number one pyromaniac of the world……teaching the prankster Naruto jutsu……yeah, trouble seems to be looming ahead……

* * *

**_At the main gate…… _**

"Alright! Everyone ready?" Anko cheered as she arrived along with a dizzy Naruto. You would too if you got taken along for five shunshins in ten seconds.

Sakura and Ino rolled their eyes at her enthusiasm, and quickly went to Naruto's side trying to get his eyes to stop seeing stars……somehow.

When all else failed, they just smashed his head onto the ground, and surprisingly, it worked wonders. "Ow……" grumbled Naruto as he stood up, facing two amused girls.

"Ne, ne, let's just get going. I want to finish this mission fast."

Anko nodded, "Well, team, get in formation. I want you to know that fighting missing-nins at jounin level will not be a surprise. In fact, Minagi-chan had told me of the Mist missing-nin Momochi Zabuza appearing recently. He seems to have an apprentice with the ability to control ice. So we better be careful."

Sakura bit her lips and with a quick nod, she dashed off, leaving the trio behind. Naruto and Ino gasped in surprise, for Sakura usually takes rear, Naruto the front, with Anko and Ino flanking them on both sides.

"Sa-sakura-chan! Wait up!" Naruto rushed after her, not wanting to take the chance of her stumbling across enemies.

Anko and Ino followed soon, after checking that there were no enemies within two hundred metres of them. Naruto soon reached Sakura, and saw her wiping at her eyes, "Sakura, what's wrong?"

Sakura turned her head away for a moment, not replying, before turning towards him, giving a weak smile, "Nothing, I'm just……anxious to start." Her eyes were slightly red and she seemed tired for some reason. Now that Naruto looked closely, her eyes seemed to be evading his gaze.

"Sakura, you can always tell me……" Naruto began, but was cut off when Anko and Ino dashed in front of them.

"I'm fine! Really!" And she pushed Naruto away gently, before leaping off to catch up. Naruto looked at her from behind, somehow feeling helpless of the situation, there was definitely sorrow within her, but what could have caused it?

All of a sudden, he felt it. _What the……wait…those chakra feel like strangers……definitely not Konoha nin……oi fox…… _

**_What……I'm trying to sleep here, in case you didn't notice…… _**

_We've got company. _

**_Hmph, fine. Use it if you have to. _**

_You got it. _

He channeled some of the fox's chakra into his legs, before dashing off with amazing speed. And sure enough, there they were, Anko and Ino, fighting off two mask-wearing missing-nins, both wearing gauntlets equipped with spiked chains. What's more, five other Ame-missing nins _(Rain)_ seemed to be there as well.

Anko growled and yelled, "Seneijashu! _(Multiple Shadow Snake Hands)_" And bound one unfortunate enemy onto the tree. She placed one kunai in her mouth before holding one in each hand. She crossed her arms, "Ninpo: Chika Kage Kunai! _(Underground Shadow Kunai)_"

She flung the kunais in her hand onto the ground before forming the seals ryu, uma and hebi. Immediately, the ground around her blew open and twenty kunais erupted from both sides, successfully taking out two more nins.

Ino formed her own seals and took in a deep breath, "Katon: Hosenka no jutsu! _(Fire Element: Immortal Phoenix Flames technique)_" It was a C-rank amateur fire ninjutsu, which Anko had taught her after finding out her primary element was fire. The fire burned fiercely and struck the other three, temporarily distracting them.

Sakura was holding off just fine against the two Kiri-missing-nins. "Rankyaku: Tora Gari! _(Storm Legs: Tiger Hunt)_" This time, she leapt up into the air, and swung both legs down, creating two vertical shockwaves of chakra, slicing through the chains that were about to bind her. She then followed it up with, "Byaku Rai! _(White Lightning)_" Once again, two more shockwaves, only this time, they were horizontal and slightly more powerful than before.

But even that was enough as the two Kiri-missing nins were sent flying into the trees. Naruto joined in the fray quickly, wanting to make sure the Ame-nins won't interfere, "Fuuton: Daitoppa! _(Wind Element: Great Breakthrough)_" Wind meets the already enflamed nins, causing an inferno to occur, blasting the nins to oblivion, effectively taking them out.

Anko finished it, "Ninpo: Hebi Doro Rasshu! _(Ninja Arts: Snake Mud Rush)_" She plunged her hands into the ground, and flinging the kunai in her mouth straight at the remaining two ame-nins, the kunai marked a spot in between them, and as Anko finished the technique, swarms of snake erupted from that exact spot and terminated them.

The kunai had Anko's blood on it, and therefore, the snakes were able to appear at the right place. This technique was quite taxing on her chakra reserves before, but now, it could be used freely. The only downside was that it could only be used to catch an opponent when he's off guard. Stronger nin would have evaded easily.

Naruto on the other hand, had other plans for the Kiri-nin, "Mokuton: Tsukene Shibari no jutsu! _(Root Bind Technique)_" And rendered the two of them helpless, with the roots holding them in place, before he held a kunai at their throats, "Where is Gato?"

The two nins look horrified for a second before quickly hiding their shocked expressions, "We don't _know_ any Gatos! What are you talking abo……ARGH!" yelled out one of them in pain as Naruto plunged the kunai into his shoulder blade.

Naruto grimaced at his action, but knew that he would have to continue, if he wanted these two to break. "Anko-sensei, they look familiar?"

Anko frowned, "Kiri no Onikyodai _(Demon Brothers)_, Chuunin-level missing-nins, whereabouts currently unknown. Least in the Bingo book." She then smirked and took out her 'toys' for interrogation, namely……loads of different types of kunai made to impale different parts of the male anatomy……precious parts at that.

The demon brothers gulped before whimpering at the sight of a maniacal Anko. Naruto rolled his eyes, "Look, either tell us, or I'll just let her have her way with you. It won't be nice."

They were positively shaking by now and Naruto smirked as one of the brothers got a 'glazed' look before losing consciousness. Naruto seeing that, smashed the other one unconscious, before stepping back and waiting.

A moment later, a surge of chakra expelled from him, and sure enough, there was Ino, back in her own self, grinning, "Shintenshin seiko. _(Mind Body Transfer Success)_" She then proceeded to tell them the details of the whereabouts and how the ame-nin were actually reinforcements for Zabuza, and that Team 7 had defeated the Onikyodai already and had gone a few hours ago.

Sakura stopped for a moment, "Hmmm, our speed should be around thrice theirs, considering they are walking. I think we can catch up."

Naruto nodded, "Alright, Ino……stay here with Anko to make sure she doesn't go too overboard or something."

He rolled his eyes at Anko's indignant, 'Hey! I'm your sensei brat!' He then turned towards Sakura, "We will try and catch up to see if we're of any help."

Anko grumbled about annoying brats who think they're so cool, whilst Ino merely nodded before hugging Sakura and whispering something in her ears. Sakura gave a quick nod and followed Naruto ahead.

Meanwhile, Anko had awakened the two nins and was waving her 'toys' in front of their horrified faces, "Now, now, let's play."

* * *

**_Up ahead…… _**

"Tsuga! _(Swirling Fang)_" roared Kiba as he attempted to smash the mizu bunshin into pieces, only to find he was blocked by the huge zanbato Zabuza carried.

"Nikudan Sensha! _(Meat Tank Bullet)_" Unfortunately, even though this attack carried huge power, the speed and flexibility caused its downfall. Zabuza merely swung the blunt side of the blade towards him and smashed him into the trees.

Meanwhile, the real Zabuza was having a laugh as he held the renowned Copy Ninja Kakashi in his Suiro No jutsu _(Water Prison technique)_. "Haha, Kakashi, look at those maggots. Just look at them. Crushed. Hahaha."

Kakashi cursed as he watched helplessly. Sasuke was having the beat up of his life. The Mizu bunshin easily avoided his strikes and proceeded to rain punches on him. The skill difference was just too big. He coughed up more blood as the bunshin gave him a solid punch in the gut, causing him to double over.

The bunshin raised the Zanbato high, "Time to die!" And in one swift move, he swung it down swiftly. Kiba and Choji watched in horror as the zanbato, Kubikiri Houchou _(Head Cleaver)_ reach its mark. Kakashi roared in anxiety, "Sasuke!"

Just then, when all seems lost, a clear voice rang out, "Fuuton: Fuuryudan! _(Wind element: Wind Dragon Missile)_" And just as the technique name described, a huge swirl of wind formed the shape of dragon and blew the Mizu bunshin of Zabuza to pieces.

Zabuza growled out, "Who's there!" Silence, then a feminine voice replied in the form of an attack, "Rankyaku: Tora Dageki! _(Tiger Strike)_" A huge shockwave of chakra was sent flying right at Zabuza, only for him to block it with his zanbato, before Naruto and Sakura leapt into the fray.

"Hmph, brats again. Well, well, let's see how you cope with these……Mizu Bunshin no jutsu! _(Water Clone technique)_" In an instant, twenty or so water clones appeared from the sea, forming a circle around the actual Zabuza and Kakashi.

Kakashi's eyes widened, "Naruto!"

"Wanna use numbers? BRING IT! Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Fifty clones appeared, all with that smirk on their faces, intent on bringing this eyebrow-less freak down. Naruto took in another deep breath along with twenty four other clones, "Katon: Goukakyu no jutsu! _(Fire Element: Great Fireball technique)_"

The rest of the clones however, formed different seals, "Fuuton: Renkudan! _(Roaring Wind Missile)_" And as the balls of wind chakra collided with the huge fireballs, the ferocity of the attack increased tenfold and together, all fifty clones yelled out, "Nigyo Kentai: Jigoku no Hono! _(Two Elements Combination: Hell Fire!)_"

And to Zabuza's utmost surprise, the all the mizu bunshin were wiped out in one move and he had to create a barrier of water around himself to prevent the scorching heat from harming him.

_Shit, who the heck is this guy?_

But just when he thought it was over, "Suiton: Teppou Dama! _(Water Missiles)_" and to his amazement, Sakura began _kicking_ balls of water held together by chakra at him. The control she must have had to be able to hold the water together and _still_ fire it off at such an alarming speed.

Having no other choice, he released the Suiro no jutsu, to dodge to the sides, only to find Naruto with a spiraling mass of blue flames around his arm, charging right at him, "Seika: Kaen Rin! _(Azure flames: Blaze Wheel)_" Zabuza gritted his teeth, "Bring it on brat! I will not lose to a mere shrimp like you! Suiton: Suiryudan no jutsu! _(Water Element: Water Dragon Missile technique)_"

Naruto ignored it and merely yelled, "Sakura! Cover me!"

Said girl was already on the move, "Rankyaku…… _(Storm Legs)_"

And to say Kakashi was shocked was an understatement. Even he would not have dared to _charge straight_ at a freaking three storey high water dragon. But apparently Sakura dared as she stored chakra into her legs and leapt into the air. Everything went in slow motion.

The awed and shocked cries of her name were blurs to her ears. She concentrated, waiting, waiting……the chakra pulsing, ready to be released in a moment's notice, and there it was! The water dragon was within range and so she unleashed her strongest attack so far, "ROUDAN! _(Dragon Break!)_"

She back flipped in the air; a huge vertical shockwave was emitted due to the sheer strength of her kick and _sliced_ the whole dragon into two, rendering it useless as it dissipated back into simple water molecules.

Everyone's jaws were firmly attached to the ground, unable to believe that a taijutsu attack from a Genin beat a B-rank water ninjutsu from an A-rank missing-nin. But Zabuza couldn't care less, for Naruto was already on him, "TAKE THAT!" And smashed his attack directly onto the Kubikiri Houcho, forcing Zabuza to be on the defensive.

Zabuza gritted his teeth at the sheer force of the attack, Kubikiri Houcho felt like _snapping_ and that was saying _something_. He pushed as hard as he could, unable to believe that he would come to a draw with a kid like this. But when he noticed Naruto's expression, he was dumbfounded.

The brat was _grinning_. Here he was, pushing like crazy against his attack, and he's _grinning_. "Oi, oi, is that all you got? Now!" And he got all serious, "Hiketsu! _(Reject)_" And as expected, the explosion of fire nature chakra blasted Zabuza back a few steps, but not enough to defeat him, however, it was all Naruto needed, "Soreha hajima ru. _(It Begins)_"

_What the fuck?! _Zabuza's eyes bulged out when he saw that the female prepare to launch another attack at him, he knew he wouldn't be on time. Heck, his arms were exhausted after holding the damn prison for so long and having to push against an A-rank assassination technique _(Not that he knew it)_ and now……

As Sakura back flipped, she unleashed Roudan, and following that, she twisted her body and gave a somersault, before bringing her leg back for one last attack, "KAICHOU! _(Victory Bird)_" The chakra emitted this time, vaguely took on the shape of an eagle with widespread wings, charging right at Zabuza's torso.

Without given any time to react, Zabuza was hit right on and flung back into the sea, creating huge waves as he impacted the water surface.

Sakura finally landed gracefully with a twirl of the body, before smiling at Naruto warmly, "NaruSaku konbi kougeki so no ichi kansei. _(Naruto Sakura Combination attack Number one Complete)_"

Kiba, Choji and even Sasuke could only gawk at the power of the combos these two have shown. Kakashi however, got down to business. "Abunai! _(Look out!)_" And quick as a flash, he blocked the Kubikiri Houcho with a kunai.

Naruto had foreseen that and carrying Sakura bridal style, he leapt back onto the banks, "Sakura-chan, daijoubu? _(Are you alright?)_"

Sakura was panting, that last attack really took a lot out of her. "Ah……just…let me rest for awhile……gomen ne, Naruto……if I had more chakra, that last attack might have finished him……" She gasped when Naruto chuckled and gave her a light kiss on the forehead, "Baka, we're still genin, that last attack was already effective beyond our imaginations. Now, just rest and watch the show, Kakashi-san will take care of it from here."

Sakura blushed at the close contact and gave a meek nod, before turning her eyes on to the battle.

It was still tightly matched. Kakashi had lost a lot of chakra with the Sharingan on, and well, just activating it is a strain. Zabuza, although still having at least half of his chakra, was low on strength, meaning that now, having too much chakra is taking a toll on him. Chakra is created by the essence of life, and well, when your body has not much stamina left, and still creating chakra will obviously take a toll on your performance.

Zabuza grunted as once again, they clashed. They have been through loads of attacks, but all of them seem to be countered at the right moment. "Suiton: Suigadan no jutsu! _(Water element: Water Fang Bullet technique)_" And along with him, almost simultaneously, Kakashi was forming the exact same seals and yelled out as well, "Suiton: Suigadan no jutsu!"

Both attacks clashed once again, still as a draw. Tazuna, the bridge builder gaped, "They have super timing! They are super alike!" _(**A/N: Just to let you know, this guy always or mostly adds the word super to descriptive terms**)_

Naruto nodded, "Ah, Sharingan, allows the user to completely copy a jutsu only a few milliseconds behind the actual user, taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu, all prove useless in those eyes……however." He sighed, "If the user himself is weak……he/she would be unable to react, but given Kakashi-san's skill-level, even with the lack of chakra, he is able to keep up, and so we can see, Momochi Zabuza is actually on a slightly lower level compared to Kakashi."

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he looked at the battle before him. Why? Why was he so weak? He just got saved by the dobe of the class! Not to mention Sakura as well! A GIRL?! Him, an _Uchiha_!

Kakashi apparently had enough and predicted Zabuza's line of thought, before blasting him off with a Suiton: Daibakufu no jutsu _(Water Element: Great Waterfall technique)_"

Right after that, Kakashi fell onto one knee, and began to sink underwater, totally exhausted his chakra source after forcibly exchanging fifteen different ninjutsu attacks and countless other taijutsu hits. Then all of a sudden, he was helped up by a purple haired jounin, "Oi, Kaka-hentai! Are you alright?! Kakashi!"

Kakashi blinked a few times before focusing on the face of Mitarashi Anko. He gave a weak smile, before fainting into her arms. Anko cursed and death-glared Zabuza, who was currently gasping for breath on the banks, exhausted as well. "Oh you shall pay. YOU SHALL PAY!" roared Anko as she flung five kunai at Zabuza, pinning him to the tree, before yelling, "Dokujashu! _(Poison Snake Hand)_" And this time, an extra large purple python emerged from her sleeve and dashed for the Kiri-missing-nin.

At that moment, several senbon struck Zabuza and he gave a strangled cry before dropping dead onto the ground. Anko stopped her attack, before glaring at the apparent new arrival, "Who allowed you to interfere?!"

The masked-nin replied, "Ah, but it is my job to kill the nukenins. _(Missing-nins)_ I thank you for your assistance, but I must go now." And in a swirl of mist, he/she had grabbed Zabuza's torso and vanished. Anko cussed out loud and swung the python onto the spot where Zabuza was a few minutes ago. The acid of python burned through the tree, falling it in one swoop.

Naruto had always known that Anko had a soft spot for Kakashi. After all, they _were_ in the same squad for years in the Anbu. Sakura gasped as Ino appeared suddenly, worries etched all over her face, "Are you alright? Oh, Sakura!" cried Ino as she pulled her into an embrace, "I was so worried! Anko-sensei was alert all of a sudden, and we dashed after you soon. Are you hurt?"

Sakura smiled gently, glad that her best friend was showing her such care and concern……_Even if she……never mind……_ "Arigato, Ino. Atashi wa heki. _(I'm fine)_"

Naruto smiled proudly at her, "Sakura was the heroine of the day, if it weren't for her, I would have been killed. Honest." It was the truth, had Sakura not been there, he would definitely have lost out to Zabuza in the end.

Sakura blushed at his praise and shook her head, "Ie, your Kaen Rin held him off, that's the main feat! You allowed us to perform the konbi kougeki."

Ino chuckled before pulling the both of them into a group hug, "You BOTH are the heroes. I'm just glad that you're safe."

Kiba however was limping towards them, "Yo, Naruto, great attack! And Sakura too, man I need to get training, or else I'll be surpassed by the 'dobe' won't I?" His smirk was evident, but the pain can be seen in his winces.

Naruto laughed, "Yeah, yeah, whatever dog breath. Choji! You alright?" Said male gave a quick nod before grinning, "You guys were great! I've never seen anything like it!"

Ino cooed, "Well of course! It's the first time they've shown it! It's one of a kind, the NaruSaku Konbi Kougeki! They came up with it the other day!"

At that, Naruto and Sakura both blushed. Tazuna then came over, "If you guys don't mind, please stay over at my house tonight! It's the least I can do for you for helping us out. May I know your names?"

Naruto grinned, "This here is Haruno Sakura, and that is Yamanaka Ino, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, Taichou of genin team 6, Tokubetsu Ansatsu butai. _(Special Assassination squad)_ I can't tell you about the mission, sorry. Oh, our jounin-sensei, Mitarashi Anko."

Anko gave a slight nod, before slinging Kakashi onto her shoulder, "Well, let's move! Sorry but this pervert here really needs urgent attention."

Tazuna apologized and quickly led the way. Just before they're all gone, Naruto helped Sakura up and was about to leave. But neither of them realized the hateful glares sent their way by a certain Uchiha.

* * *

**_Now THAT was long. This chap was special. I wanted to get that battle scene out of the way. Man, that felt good! Full NaruSaku fluff next chap, so look out for it! And of course, Anko and Kakashi may get together. We'll see. _**

**_Review! I want to know what you guys think! I hope the Uchiha Minagi introduction wasn't too hurried. Sudden yes, but it had to be done. I can't have her introduced any later. _**

**_So that's that! Please, do NOT expect chapters this long every time. I'm usually keeping to the 3000+ words minimum, but this one is around five thousand. I totally admire those who write chapters of ten thousand words or more, but sorry, I ain't one of them. _**

**_Hope this action scene was satisfactory. Well then, that's all I guess. Ja ne! XD _**

**_Oh by the way, you can vote for who you want Minagi to pair with. I'll let you choose. Itachi, or Kakashi, or someone else. Lol. Yes, Itachi IS possible. Though I'm not sure whether I should make him a good guy. If Minagi is paired with Itachi, then it'll be a past pairing. Not active. Hmm, we'll see. HAHA. _**


	14. Confession

**_A/N: I'm back! Lol, pretty fast. But hey, be grateful. Anyways, glad that most of you liked the way I'm writing this story. The NaruSaku fluff that has been ordered by MULTIPLE reviewers, has now been officially completed. Read on to satisfy your hungered minds. Lol, that came out wrong. HAHA. _**

**_But anyways, I tried my best. Don't blame me if it seems sort of weird or random or disgusting or whatever negative things you think. _**

**_I, for one, have NOT been in a romantic relationship before, have NEVER kissed a girl before, WAS a clueless dumbass at the age of 12, so hey, don't blame me, pity me. Lol. I've basically used this chapter as a stress relieving one. So bear with me. I'm not kidding when I said I'm in a very, very troublesome stage of my life. _**

**_Alright, done with the ranting, let's get on with it! Chp 14 coming right up. ENJOY! _**

**_Disclaimer: Look, hate to inform you, but I don't own Naruto. Okay? NOW GET OUT OF MY ROOM!! XD _**

* * *

I Will Believe 

Chapter 14: Confession 

"Zzzzzzz……" was the only sound heard from an exhausted blond as he slept peacefully in his bed. He was dead tired the day before, having fought Zabuza all out, and having to constantly stay alert to see if any other missing-nins might attack.

Sakura and Ino were already up, fixing breakfast along with the lady in the house, Tsunami. Tazuna had replayed the whole scene to his family and a vague one to the villagers and visitors, gaining the Konoha Shinobis quite some reputation.

Sasuke seemed murderous when Tazuna had praised the blond genin along with his pink-haired teammate, saying their teamwork was flawless and had style. Kiba and Choji were nursing their wounds and Sasuke, well, he was brooding as usual. Kakashi too was asleep, with Anko by his side, looking after him.

Just then, said blond weakly opened his eyes, "_Yawn_……ok. What time is it?"

"It's around ten, but you should rest some more. You need it. Sakura and I will guard Tazuna temporarily and we can learn more about Gato and see if we can come up with a plan. In the meantime, you and Anko-sensei will stay here, looking after Team 7. Oh, and breakfast is in the fridge! Well then, bye!" And with that, Ino was gone.

Naruto sweatdropped. _Ok, she just decided everything by herself. Oooook, girls are weird. _

**_Kit, I thought you knew that ages ago. _**

_Hey, I needed more proof. _

**_…… _**

_Alright fine, be that way. God damnit, used too much chakra, need to do some basic exercises to get back in shape. _

He finally got up, went and took a cold shower before appearing the kitchen. Anko was there cooking whilst a pretty lady with black hair was cleaning everything up. A short kid was quietly munching away on the last of his toast, brooding, which Naruto found quite amusing.

"Whoa, Anko, are you _cooking_? Who's gonna eat it?" Naruto asked in a cheerful tone, indicating his presence for the first time since his arrival at Tazuna's home, also, scaring the heck out of the kid and the lady.

Anko seemed unfazed, "Hmm, Kakashi is. He just woke up and he needs energy. That hentai _(Pervert)_, I swear if he does something stupid again." All the while, she was cooking with superb skill, the aroma of her dish filled the entire kitchen. Naruto loved this part of Anko. She was really a very caring woman, and her culinary skills were godly. Naruto had learnt a great deal from her, and could never thank her enough.

"Ne, Anko-ne-chan, where's Team 7?"

"One's out playing with his puppy, another's out trying delicacies, and Uchiha's brooding. Again." Said Anko with minimum fuss as she flipped the pancakes out onto the plate, and poured syrup over it.

She then placed it in front of Naruto, "Eat up. The food in the fridge will be your bento. I know you like sweet stuff in the morning."

Anko scooped the remaining pancakes on another plate and took it into the room, "Gaki, hurry up and eat. I expect you out there with them in half an hour."

Naruto grinned, "Alright, ITADAKIMASU! _(If you don't know what this means, I swear……)_"

He basically inhaled the food. It was times like this that made Naruto giddy with joy. Anko knew it too. The kid loved this attention. That's why she cooked. Only people in this world to _ever_ taste her cooking in the past ten years could be counted on one hand, namely, Naruto, Kakashi, Kireki, Kurenai, and sometimes Hokage. Even Ibiki had never tasted her cooking before.

Kakashi looked at the plate in her hands, then at the smirk on her face, before chuckling, "Arigato gozaimasu. I take it that you enjoyed it?"

Anko giggled, "YEP!" Needless to say, both 'brother' and 'sister' held similar smirks that day. Not that they know it.

* * *

**_With Sakura, Ino and Tazuna…… _**

"Alright, let's get working!" roared Tazuna with vigor as him and the crew started their project once again. Sakura and Ino stood guard, side by side, enjoying the cool breeze that blew through the area every now and then. It was comforting; after all, they did just have a very anxious trip.

Ino noticed Sakura's awkwardness and couldn't help but frown, "Sakura, what's wrong?"

Sakura had been slightly cold towards her throughout the trip, even now, she couldn't help but feel that something was forcing them apart. Though, in reality, she knew what that particular _something_ is, she wanted to see if she was right.

Sakura cringed as Ino asked her the question. She had been trying to avoid answering that, knowing that it won't help at all. She had meant to be that way, but…well, her mind basically acted on her own, with Inner Sakura taking over.

"Nothing important. Minor stuff……sorry Ino, I just…let's just forget this?" Sakura held her breath. She really, _really_ didn't need this right now. It's a mission, and the last thing she needed was for her foolish desires to clog her senses and mess it up.

Ino bit her lips, before giving a slight nod. An awkward silence followed, tension beginning to increase ever so slightly. It felt weird. Throughout the years, they had never so much as had an argument. But now……Ino sighed, _Well, guess this is the whole 'growing up' crap. _

Sakura hated herself. But that wasn't the problem. She couldn't decide _why_ she hated herself. Because she was acting cold? Or because Ino had beaten her once again? No, she was sure it was neither. It was much more complicated than just a rivalry. She sighed, _I can't believe this, if only……_

But at that moment, a voice broke the ice temporarily between the two, "Come on, come on! Stop acting so down! Let's get moving, Kage bunshin no jutsu!" And in an instant, fifty grinning blonds appeared and went over to the workers asking how they could help. The workers were slightly unnerved at fifty replicas staring at them, but got over it and gladly accepted their help.

"Naru-kun, you should have rested today!" pouted Ino, as she checked him over for any unhealed injuries.

Sakura nodded, "Yeah, the two of us were enough really, or did you think that we couldn't cope with a single guarding mission?" Her eyes narrowed at the thought of Naruto looking down on them.

Naruto chuckled, "No, no, I just wanted to keep you guys company, besides, what better medicine than laughter and joy along with you guys?" His foxy grin was seriously contagious, and the way he said it, damn, it was just impossible to get angry at him.

The tension slowly dissolved and for the rest of the day, the three chatted cheerfully whilst Tazuna and the other workers, along with the fifty blonds carried out their tasks. Sakura and Ino had offered to help more than once, but Tazuna had refused, saying that he wouldn't allow two ladies to waste their energy on small tasks like this and that he really appreciates the fact that they were guarding him.

Naruto was slightly angry at the fact that Team 7 was clearly neglecting their mission and dumping it onto his team, but after Sakura and Ino's explanations, he calmed down a little. Kiba and Choji were injured quite badly……and even though the Uchiha hated to admit it, he had broken a few ribs from that beating Zabuza had given him.

Soon, the sun set, and the group once again found themselves escorting Tazuna back home. It was a sad sight. The streets were bare, and the people were poorly clothed. Children were thin and sickly, the adults were no better. One child had gently tugged at Sakura's dress and asked for sweets. It was heart-wrenching to see that even _children_ had to resort to begging to obtain their food.

Honestly, not even the basic necessities were available, and if one was to say who was the most affected, it would have to be Naruto. He hated it. He couldn't bear to see the children fishing stale food out of the garbage, or running around, trying to find anything edible or useful for their parents, whilst the adults wandered everywhere, trying to find jobs. It was horrible sight. It was just like his childhood, he could almost see himself in the child's place, only the reason was entirely different.

In Konoha, if he couldn't find food, he could at least steal them. But here……there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. And it tore at him to see kids rushing to him, asking him whether they could have some food.

Tazuna gave a heavy sigh, "It has been like this for years. That is why I need you guys to protect me. The bridge is our only hope. We _must_ finish it. Otherwise, we'll never be able to survive."

Sakura and Ino found within themselves a new strength. Now they had one more reason to accomplish their mission. Both girls had lived in luxury for the past few years compared to these kids. Ino could only smile sadly as the little girl squealed at being hugged by her. She even commented how nice Ino's hair was, and that had brought a silent tear to the blonde's face.

Sakura did the best she could. She gave her bento to the five kids and watched in sadness as they cheered that their dinner was solved. Their parents, themselves and probably some others as well. Their dinner consisted of a single bento. It was disheartening. She gritted her teeth and vowed to make that tyrant pay.

* * *

**_Back at Tazuna's house…… _**

Kiba and Choji are basically recovered and apologized profusely to team 6, swearing that they would make up for today. Naruto had grinned and told them it was fine. Meanwhile, Sasuke had chosen to ignore the others and stuff himself with food, saying he needed it for training.

Sakura and Ino both cringed as they thought of the poor children once again. Naruto frowned and sighed, before lightening up, "Kakashi-san?"

At that moment, Kakashi limped into the room with the help of Anko and crutches. He gave a weak smile, before nodding gratefully towards Naruto and Sakura, "Thank you both for helping me out."

Sakura blushed and Naruto smiled, "Well, I kinda want to apologize, I should have taken him out due to the surprise factor, but didn't and gave you much more trouble. Gomen ne, Inu-san." His eyes teasing Kakashi as that familiar grin lingered on his face.

Kakashi chuckled, "Ah, that's nostalgic isn't it?"

"Indeed." Grinned Naruto as Kakashi ruffled his hair.

When Naruto was young, every time Kakashi saved him from the mob, he would always pout and mutter that same sentence. 'Gomen, ne, Inu-san.' Kakashi was the leader of Anbu, and sported a mask shaped like a dog. And Kakashi would always ruffle his hair to let him know that it was no big deal.

Kakashi was probably the only who got away with ruffling his hair. Naruto truly thanked the ex-Anbu for saving his life countless times. It was sort of a brotherly bond they shared.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the sight of _his _sensei _praising_ Naruto. Hell, so the blond deserved it, but why? Why did it cause such anger within him to arise when Naruto is in the spotlight? No, contrary to popular belief, he couldn't care less that he was an Uchiha, no that wasn't the point.

He was Uchiha _Sasuke_, brother of Itachi, and an avenger. His clan was no more and dwelling on the past is futile. He knew that much. That was why he struggled for more power. He needed it, _him_, Sasuke, not some stupid carefree blond. He needed to kill the clan's traitor to at least make up for his weakness years ago. What would a happy-go-lucky blond know?

Just then, the kid yelled out, "Why do you keep trying anyway? You'll all just die! What's the point? Gato would just kill you all in the end!"

Kiba looked pissed, Choji frowned, Sasuke ignored the brat, Sakura grimaced and Ino scoffed, "We're not cowards little boy. We will win."

The boy, Inari cried out, "Shut up! What would you guys know?!"

It was then Naruto spoke, "What do you know?" His voice was a whisper, but everyone felt the coldness within it. Kakashi and Anko gave each other a glance, before sitting back, wanting to see how this plays out.

Inari slammed his small fists onto the table, "This country is in shambles! No one can save it! The scumbag Gato kills anyone that defies him! There will never be a hero! We'll always live in despair and poverty! Nothing can save us! That's what I know! MORE THAN YOU EVER CAN! All you do is laugh and grin stupidly all day long! How can you understand our pain?!"

Surprisingly, it was Sakura that blew up, "Listen here kid, and you listen good. I don't care if you say that to any of us. But you have no right to talk to Naruto like that. You hear me?"

She was glaring at the boy, who merely stared defiantly, "Hmph, as if that dumb blond knows anything! I'm sure he has a happy family at home waiting for him, living in all the luxury, having all those friends with him, what would he know?!"

Kakashi had to grip Anko's hand tightly to prevent her from mutilating the bastard child right there. She was fuming. Needless to say, Sakura and Ino were too, though team 7 was confused as to their sudden change in emotions.

Throughout all these, Naruto kept his eyes closed, he didn't say anything. Then, he chuckled lightly, but anyone can hear the bitterness within it, that same smile was on his face again, filled with melancholy.

His voice was still a whisper, "Is that all? Had enough shouting?" It was gentle and coaxing. Totally unlike the Naruto team 7 knew. Even Kiba and Choji, who were his closest friend, found it somewhat awkward to hear the outgoing Naruto speak in this way.

Inari's mouth dropped slightly, wondering what on earth he is on about.

Naruto continued, "Does it feel good, letting it all out? It does, doesn't it? Placing the blame on something is always easier. The rage you feel, the helplessness you experience, it's just makes it all better if you actually have something to vent out on right?"

Naruto shook his head slightly, "You not only blame Gato, you blame me, my teammates, my senseis, the workers, Gato's men, yes, all that I understand. But most importantly, you blame yourself."

Inari's eyes widened at that, his mind blank, not knowing what to say, but he didn't need to, for Naruto just went on.

"It hurts doesn't it, when you fail to protect someone. When you're all alone and nothing can erase your fear. You are afraid for your precious people, yet you are helpless. The vulnerability is killing you every single day, isn't it?" Everyone felt a chill run down their spine as Naruto said these words. It was like he knew that feeling so well. Only Anko and Kakashi knew how true those words were.

"Well, Inari, let me tell you, that I am an orphan. I have no idea who my parents were and lived my life alone all these years. I got kicked out of the orphanage at the age of four. I got spat upon, kicked, beaten up, anything. I had fifty-four assassination attempts by the time I was seven. I was charged triple the price for everything I bought. I barely lived off with the allowance I got. I had no one, nothing." His eyes were a cold blue, remembering and reliving his experiences.

"I lived off the garbage bin. Everything I was allowed to buy was either expired or poisoned. If I was to so much as step into a hostile shop, I would get flung out immediately. I nearly died twice in my life. Once was at the age of five, where I saved Hyuga Hinata from a Kumo nin, the second was at the age of seven, where I was beaten within an inch of my life by the villagers and some other shinobis……on my birthday. So tell me, tell me Inari, do I know your pain?"

His words struck deep within everyone present. Tsunami was holding her hand, covering her mouth in shock. Tazuna was staring at him in disbelief. Even Sakura and Ino, who had expected something like this couldn't believe that this was the real extent of things. Anko turned her face away, not wanting them to see her tears. She couldn't do anything. She had tried adopting the boy as well, when he was five. She had tried numerous times. But the bastards in the council had rejected it, saying that they would not allow some demon spawn to live with a snake bitch like herself.

Kakashi closed his eyes, till now, he could still remember that night. The night where small seven-year old Naruto was bleeding profusely on the ground, just lying there, and the way he screamed for forgiveness on the hospital bed was etched deeply into his memories.

Inari was shocked to the core. "But…but…how…how can you still be……"

Naruto opened his eyes, his cerulean orbs gazing intently on Inari, "Because I never gave up. Sure, my life was hard, but so what? I'm not the only one in this godforsaken world that has it tough! There are others out there, worse than even you and me, just today, I witnessed once again, children _begging_ for food. Three year olds have to help parents in jobs. That alone is enough to be a wake-up call! Why do you think I'm able to laugh? You think it's easy?!" His rage was apparent. The poor boy was shell-shocked, rooted to the spot by Naruto's fierce comments.

"I found my precious people. I found a goal. I believed in them, and I will continue to do so even if it means my life! I trust them, I found my will to live! And guess what? More people want to be in my way, so be it! I don't give a damn who Gato is to you, or me. I don't give a crap that he has a freaking missing-nin army behind him. All I care is that I will kill him. Simple as that."

"I don't try. The moment you try, your confidence drops. You don't. You just do it. You believe in yourself and do it. If I can take nine years of prejudice and suffering, why can't you stand up for yourself? Why are you crying by the window side with your father's photo? You think we don't know? Your grandpa told us all. We know, and we sympathize, but that's pointless. All we can really do, is carry out our mission and kill that bloody bastard. Only then, will you be freed. So step up and act like a man. Face your fears, erase them damnit! Crying doesn't help you does it? So what will you do? Fight like the hero that everyone could be? Or run like the coward that most choose to do?" Naruto spun around and walked out of the house, slamming the door in the process.

All was silent. It was a lot to take in. Tazuna made a choked expression before turning towards Kakashi, "Is it……is it……"

Kakashi gave a heavy sigh, before nodding gravely, "Every single word. In fact, it was probably much worse, but the kid never gives up. He learns to cope with the sadness and grows stronger from it."

Inari shivered and began to sob once again, even Tsunami found it hard to swallow all these. Kiba and Choji were shocked beyond imagination, and Sasuke suddenly had a whole new respect for Naruto. Granted, he still felt the blond as a threat, but the loneliness, well, Sasuke knows a different type of it, but he knows it all the same.

Ino sighed, before nudging Sakura, "Go on, he always listens to you at times like this."

Sakura bit her lips, before rushing out as well, intent on finding Naruto. Ino chuckled bitterly. She felt horrible. She couldn't and didn't dare go and comfort Naruto. Why? Because she fears that she might mess up. She finds it hard to read Naruto when he's all serious, but Sakura has no problem with it. It has always been like this before. When Naruto acts all playful and cheery, Ino could tell what he's up to straight away, but……whenever he gets sad, or angry, only Sakura was able to calm him down.

For now, she could only hope, that Naruto would listen to Sakura once again. She didn't know why, but she didn't dare follow. A part of her told her that she would regret her decision, but she didn't care, if it was for the good of Naruto, it was worth it.

* * *

**_With Naruto…… _**

He took in a deep breath and let it out. Too much stress these days, and really, that Inari kid had just given him a reason to spill out his pain. He just wanted the kid to know that really, being afraid doesn't help. It never helps. He knew that, five years of crying brought nothing. Two years of trying got him friends. That's all he needed to know.

Just then, he heard the silent footsteps, and sighed, "Sakura, don't worry. I…I'm fine."

But then, a pair of slim arms slid around his waist and her petit frame hugged him from behind, "No, you're not. You're anything but fine. Naruto, feeling the pain isn't wrong. Don't blame yourself."

Her words were soothing, her voice was light and gentle. It was so familiar, every time Naruto felt sad, Sakura had always been there for him. Naruto chuckled weakly, before turning around and looking her in the eyes, "Sakura, tell me. What is wrong with me?"

Sakura didn't flinch at all, her gaze met his, emerald staring into those sky blue orbs, "Everything Naruto. You feel angry at your loss of self-control. You feel disgusted at the treatment the kids receive here in Wave, you feel sad remembering your own childhood, you feel horrible at your scolding of Inari, and most of all, you feel sorry……for leaving us five years ago." She whispered as she caressed his cheek, a small smile on her face, the care and concern was overflowing.

The tears in her eyes glittered in the moonlight, and Naruto felt his heart wrench, "Sakura……"

She shook her head gently, "Naruto, we're always there for you. Trust us. Let us carry your burden as well."

Naruto sighed, "Am I really that obvious?"

"No. You aren't, but we learn. I learn to notice the subtle changes in you, I try my best to understand you. I care for you Naruto. I really do." Her voice was like a whisper, gentle and sweet.

Naruto gave a heavy sigh, "Then why are you so cold to me?"

Sakura's eyes immediately looked aside, not daring to meet his gaze. But he didn't give up, "Tell me, what is it that you're afraid of when you saw me yesterday? Why, why was there sadness in those beautiful eyes or yours? Why do I feel the pain in you?"

Sakura spun around and made to move, "I'll go get Ino……"

However, she wasn't given the chance when Naruto hugged her from behind this time, "You were there weren't you? When I kissed Ino, it was you, wasn't it?"

Sakura bit her lips and struggled to get out of his grasp, "Naruto, let me go! Please, don't…don't bring it up……I know you like Ino, I know…just…don't…just let me go! I'll get Ino……I……"

Naruto hugged her even tighter, his voice whispering into her ears, "No, I won't let go. Not like five years ago, because I know, the moment I let you go……I won't ever see the real you again."

Sakura melted at those words. She couldn't help it. She liked Naruto as well, and she was devastated when Ino got to admit it before she did. She was reminded of her helplessness when Naruto, for her safety, let her befriend Ino so that at least, she won't be lonely after he broke all connections with her.

Can you imagine the pain? The pain of a seven year old boy, forced to give up his friendship just so that his two best and only friends could be safe? Can you imagine the determination he must have had and the sorrow he must have endured?

"Sakura, look at me. Look me in the eye." Naruto turned her around, gazing into her lovely eyes, he saw it there, the pain and the subtle jealousy, the sadness…

"I like you Sakura. With all my heart. I swear it." he sighed, before saying, "Close your eyes."

Sakura tilted her head, not understanding what he wanted to do. Naruto closed his eyes too, "Come on, close them. Relax. Trust me?"

She smiled slightly, before giving a slight nod and closed them. Naruto lifted her chin, and bent his head, giving her a long, lingering kiss on the _forehead_. He then pulled away, and gently caressed her cheeks, and kissed her eyes ever so gently.

Sakura sighed in bliss as she felt his breath on her neck, giving her small butterfly kisses, before she was pulled into his arms. He could hear his whisper, "Gomen. But this is all I can do for the moment, forgive me Sakura."

She felt them, the hot droplets of pain he cried, the tears of fear. And she shook her head slightly, "Ie, Naruto……jubun……jubun……_(It's enough……)_"

They just stood there, listening to each other's heartbeats, enjoying the embrace, both silently praying for a way to solve this. The moon had never seemed so bright……yet the scenery had never seem so cold……

* * *

**_Whew…that felt good. I let it all out. That's right, lol. Don't worry, NaruSaku fluff continues next chap. Oh boy, am I looking forward to next chap! Action time! And really this whole Wave Arc was for NaruSaku. Next chap will be the big bang for their relationship. _**

**_If this seemed wayyyy too lame or lousy, I apologize, please see the reason in the A/N above and try not to flame me. Ladies, ladies, if you find the situation I wrote just now to be a bit degrading, I sincerely apologize, but really, that's the only way I imagined for that to happen. Well, maybe my imagination sux, but hey, cut me some slack. _**

**_Alright, that's that. Oh and I posted a new NarutoBleach crossover fic, anyone interested please go read it. Well, then, ja ne! XD _**

**_P.S. Guys and gals, just a reminder, exams are just around the corridor, updates might be slightly slower. So, you want faster updates, you better review! ) _**


	15. Protect

**_A/N: Lol, good news. All my exams are separated by one week or so. Updates shouldn't be too much of a problem. Just pray that I don't die of exhaustion. Lol. Anyways, now, this chapter is officially my favorite. Oh yeah, you'll see. Finally I get to do Naruto my way at the Wave arc. Ho ho, extreme times call for extreme measures, that's all I'm gonna say. _**

**_Glad that most of you liked the NaruSaku fluff. This chap continues, along with NaruIno fluff as well. Action time, as in honestly, action. _**

**_This extra, super long as chapter is done to celebrate Naruto's birthday, tenth of October. ENJOY! _**

**_Disclaimer: Don't know what the lawyers were thinking that a poor, lazy guy like me could own such a fabulous series of manga, what was it called again? Oh right, Naruto! XD _**

* * *

I Will Believe 

Chapter 15: Protect 

It was morning……sun was up; birds were chirping merrily and all that. It was peaceful enough, and right in the middle of the forest, was our favorite blond, sleeping. Why would he be out here? Well, he was exhausted from training the stage two Rasengan last night and the frustration was just another factor. He was too plagued with fatigue to get back to the house and opted to bunk out in the forest.

Which is the reason why currently, a very beautiful girl, around the age of 15, was gently shaking him awake. She was clad in a pink yukata, her skin was snow-white, giving a good contrast to the dark hair flowing down her shoulders. She was very attractive to say the least _(A/N: HINT: HAKU IS A FEMALE! XD)_.

Naruto grumbled as he was wakened up from his sweet slumber. His eyes were unfocused and he was slightly groggy, eyes blinking, trying to shake himself awake.

The girl beside him giggled lightly, her voice gentle as a feather, "Why were you sleeping outside alone? You could catch a cold."

Naruto yawned before standing up and stretching a little, before finally paying attention to the girl, "Ah, thanks for waking me up. I was tired, is all. I don't get sick anyway, never did." He flexed his arms a little, before eyeing the stupid rubber balls in distaste, _God damnit, why won't they just blow up?!_

The girl chuckled as she saw the boy's frustrated expression, "Is something the matter?"

Naruto groaned, "Yeah, loads of stuff is wrong. But leave that. What's a pretty girl like you doing here so early?" He raised an eyebrow, before spotting the herbs in her basket, "Ah, gathering herbs eh?"

The girl nodded, "Yeah, my name is Haku. Are you a shinobi?"

"Yeah, that obvious huh?"

"Well, you do have that Hitai-ate with a leaf on it."

Naruto rolled his neck to the right, an audible crack was heard, before he let out a satisfied, 'Ahhhh' sound, _Damn, that felt good. _

Haku gazed intently at this blond individual, finding him very interesting. Zabuza had been brought to a draw by this boy. She should've killed him, but she didn't. She couldn't anyways, she was never a cold-blooded killer, opting to stun or cripple the enemy temporarily instead of killing them.

Naruto eyed her, before giving a foxy grin, "Ne, since you were so kind to wake me up, why not let me help you?"

Haku was caught off guard, "Eh?"

Naruto didn't say anything else, but began plucking medical herbs, adding to her collection. She watched, with amusement and slight appreciation at the way he was carefully choosing them, making sure they weren't a poisonous variation that looked like a herb. It was quite unnerving to see the boy that fought so ferociously handle a plant with such care.

And it was with this question in mind, that she blurted out the question, "Do you have anyone precious to you?" She was slightly shocked at herself, _Since when did I become so outgoing?_

Naruto gazed at her for awhile, seeming to be deep in thought, before that foxy grin appeared again, "Yes I have. A lot of them, even now, I have three of them here. They are my pillars for strength. I admit, without them, I wouldn't know what to do." He chuckled slightly, thinking of how Anko would tease him had he told her.

Haku's smile softened, "So you do know the meaning of 'strength'."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I'm guessing you do as well? Is that why you're gathering herbs? To treat a certain injured _demon of the mist_?" His eyes held within them that same mischievous glint, as though teasing her.

She gasped, before reaching for her hidden senbon, "How did you……"

Naruto scoffed, "Please, you would think that I couldn't smell it? Half of you practically reeks of Zabuza's stinky blood. But hey, at least the nice lavender smell is still there."

Haku gritted her teeth, "Well then, I shall settle this right now then." Her left hand gripped three senbons, ready to attack at any time, only to gasp in shock when the Naruto in front of her blurred out of view. Before she even had time to turn around, Naruto already placed a kunai at her neck, "I have the advantage here. I'm better equipped and more suited for combat. You however are recovering from fatigue after healing Zabuza. You're in a lose-lose situation."

"I won't give in! Kill me if you want!" She glared at the blond, who only seemed amused at the situation.

"Now, now, a minute ago, we were chatting like good friends, surely it hasn't reached such extreme circumstances?" He joked, before he turned serious, "Now, Haku, you listen to me and you listen good."

His voice was as cold as steel, "I know you serve Zabuza as a tool and you feel loyal. For your benefit, I suggest you stop that line of thinking. That's point number one. Point number two, harm my teammates, and I'll personally kill you."

Haku couldn't help but shiver at his tone, she knew he was serious.

"Now, the final point. I offer you and Zabuza……asylum in Konohagakure." _Are you sure about this fox? _

**_Just trust me on this. That old man would love you for it. Just think, one of the former Seven Mist Swordsmen, that self-proclaimed demon joining Konoha ranks. It should work. _**

_Ah well, can't hurt can it? Ibiki did say that this girl here never did kill because of cold-blood. _

When Naruto was picking herbs, he was actually having a conversation with Kyuubi, seeing how the fox had told him that it was Haku that was giving off the scent. They then debated as to what to do and settled for this method.

Haku's eyes nearly popped out as she heard this, and gave a very intelligent reply, "Huh?" Her grip on her kunai loosened, as Naruto moved his away. "Your choice, now, I'll let you think for awhile, I think I might just be onto something here."

**_Kit, what are you doing? _**

_Passing the second stage…… _

**_Huh? _**

_Watch. _

Naruto grabbed another rubber ball from his pocket and took a deep breath, clearing his mind, before forming the image of Kyuubi's head. Kyuubi raised an eyebrow, **_Right……I know you admire me kit……but to such an extent……_**

_Ah shut it. _

He then began to imagine that 'head' as a centre point, directing the chakra to flow like a vortex, gathering at that particular point, and immediately, he felt it. His chakra flared, concentrating on his right hand, where the ball began to squirm. "All right, now……focus…focus……" The chakra in his mind swirled around the point, forming a giant hurricane.

Haku watched in awe and shock as the blond kid's chakra fired up all of a sudden and the rubber ball in his hand began to flutter in shape. To think that a substance of such elasticity would be forced to change its shape multiple times a second. Now that was amazing.

With a loud roar, Naruto rammed the ball into the ground, and at the same time, a huge burst of chakra was seen, blasting the ball to smithereens. A small crater could be seen where the ball once was. Haku gaped at the technique……_I'm glad I didn't fight him……_

Even Kyuubi was impressed, **_Kit…… _**

_HA! Take that! Rasengan, power stage COMPLETE! YAHOO! _

Naruto gave a small whistle at the crater, before grinning and turning to Haku, "It was you, wasn't it? The girl who stalled the pursuers even for a little while, allowing Anko-chan to escape from Kirigakure successfully eh?"

Haku blinked, before realization dawned on her, "Is it……"

"Yeah, she's the one with purple hair."

**_Flashback…… _**

_'Suiton Hijutsu: Sensatsu Suishou! (Water Element Hidden Technique: Thousand Water Needles of Death)' murmured Haku as she took out another five nins. _

_The purple haired jounin gave her a smirk, gasping for breath once they both escaped safely, "I'm not going to thank you, you know that right?" _

_Haku smiled under her mask, "But I know you do." And with that, she disappeared in a swirl of mist. _

**_Flashback end…… _**

"That time…I was gathering info for Zabuza-sama, and ran into her while she was escaping after assassinating one of Kiri's best, and well……"

Naruto grinned, "That's the reason. I'll let you go. Tell that eyebrow-less freak what I said. But remember, point numbers one and two apply. See ya."

And with that, said blond began to cheerfully walk back to the house, glad that he mastered the second stage and probably gained a potential comrade.

Haku could only gape slightly as he walked away. Her body was numb, unsure of what to do. It could be a trap, but why bother, he could've killed her and then taken out an injured Zabuza, and she doubts that Gato's security could save them anyway.

She tidied her clothes, before giving a sigh of relief, _But still, at least, we might not need to be on the run anymore……_

* * *

**_Back at Tazuna's house…… _**

Sakura smiled as she entered the dining room. Anko was there, cooking as usual, along with Tsunami. Ino was teasing Kiba for eating without manners and Choji, well, he was eating very carefully, wanting to make sure his taste buds got the whole taste. Sasuke……was brooding……again. Kakashi was just sitting there……reading his porn. Yeah. Same old, same old.

Ino glanced up at her, before squealing and gave her a big hug, "Sakura! You're awake." Sakura chuckled, knowing what she was doing, so she replied kinkily, "Yep, last night was fun, wasn't it?"

Ino lowered her eyebrows seductively, "Want a continuation now?"

Sakura moved her face ever so close, "A pleasure……"

By now, Kiba was practically choking on his food. Choji actually stopped eating. Kakashi's nose was bleeding. Even Sasuke looked shocked. And right at that moment, Sakura and Ino both stuck out their tongues and blew a raspberry at the rest, "Ewww, you guys are sick perverts! KIBA! I SOOOO hate you now."

"Kakashi-san too! Hentai!" Anko rolled her eyes before bashing Kakashi on the head, and placed the food on the table, "Men can't help it, ninety-nine percent of them are perverts. At least Naru-chan isn't. That's a good thing. Don't want him learning off some……_irresponsible_ individuals, now do we?" Anko's eyes glinted maniacally as she took a disgusted glance at the book in his hand.

Kakashi gulped, before giving a nervous eye-smile, "Ah haha, er……gomen gomen." And quickly began eating, for fear of his precious book. Sasuke scoffed as Kiba got berated for acting like a pervert.

Sakura chuckled as she remembered exactly what happened last night.

**_Flashback…… _**

_"Ino……we need to talk." Sakura whispered as she entered the room that night. _

_Ino sighed, "I know, I know……" _

_Sakura just stood by the door, not daring to enter another step, afraid that she might say something offensive and screw up their precious friendship. Ino merely sat up on her bed, staring at Sakura, "Alright. Talk." _

_Sakura bit her lips, "Ino……I…well……I…like Naruto too." And quick as a flash, she snapped her eyes shut. She winced slightly as Ino tapped her forehead, "Sigh, just like before, a huge forehead with no brain." And then Ino giggled. _

_Sakura narrowed her eyes, "What was that?" She growled. _

_Ino gave a small smile, "I knew. It was so obvious. Well, everyone could tell we were precious to him. So did you get your first kiss?" _

_Sakura blushed before stuttering, "I-Ino!" _

_Ino latched onto her back, "Ne, ne, did you? You could tell me!" Her mischievous grin was present. Uh oh, inner Ino has taken over, or so Sakura thought. _

_"W-well, I-I er…no. I didn't. He kissed me on the forehead……eyes…neck……" Sakura blushed a deeper red as she mentioned the events that happened last night. Ino chuckled, "Well, looks like we have got a competition going on now, don't we?" _

_Sakura averted her gaze, "Gomen……" _

_"Baka, don't say sorry! You can't help it if you like him now can you?" Ino frowned, "Sakura, he likes the both of us just the same. I'm sure he told you that." _

_Sakura bit her lips, "He did. He said he will solve this when we get back to Konoha. He says he's confused." _

_"Well, I expected as much. Sakura, how about this?" _

_Sakura looked at her, confused, "Ino, aren't you angry?" _

_Ino sighed, before looking out the window, taking in the calming scenery, "Well……if I say I'm not, I'll be lying. I am, I am angry. But……" She gave a weak smile, "Being angry will not only hurt myself, but all those whom I deem precious. Sakura, you may think I'm all grown up……but really, I don't know as well." _

_Sakura had tears in her eyes, "Ino……" _

_"I'm only twelve! I don't……I don't even know if it's love! I'm just…scared…you know. I…I don't want it to be like five years ago……that feeling of loneliness, desperation, it was heart-wrenching! I don't want to feel that way!" _

_Sakura hugged Ino gently, "You won't. He won't let us. He promised remember. He's here to stay, by our side. I asked him the same thing just now. Ino……" _

_Ino sniffed, before wiping her tears away, "I'm getting soft. I'm supposed to be like Anko-sensei, urgh……oh no. She'll never let me hear the end to this." _

_Sakura finally smiled, "Let's……give him some time. We reorganize our thoughts, and he figures it out. Just like old times. Ne, Ino?" _

_Ino sighed, "That baka, he'll need at least two years. By then, he'll have tons of fan-girls and enemies, AGAIN." Ino scoffed at the last word. _

_Sakura giggled, "Well, we'll be there to protect him, won't we?" _

_Ino gazed at her, before smiling, "Yeah……ne, Sakura, want to sleep together? Old times' sake?" _

_Sakura thought for a moment, "Sure. Now, Ino, I swear, if you hog the blanket." _

_Ino actually blushed at that, "Mou, Sakura!" And a night of fun teasing began, before both fell asleep. _

**_Flashback end…… _**

She giggled as she thought of that memory. _Just like old times……_

Just then, the door swung open, revealing a yawning blond stretching his arms, before that same familiar foxy grin appeared on his face, "Yo, minna."

Sakura and Ino immediately tackled him, "Naru-kun!" Anko grabbed him in a headlock, "You stupid baka! Next time you want to train, don't just run off yourself! We were worried!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Sure, you were worried, but no about me. I think some Cyclops over there was totally immersed in the pleasure of having such a warm and caring woman by his side _all_ night. He must have had _very, very_ nice thoughts."

At that Kakashi sweatdropped as Anko glared murderously at him, and he quickly explained, "I didn't, I swear on my pride!"

Naruto scoffed, "You don't have any. You destroyed your image by reading those books! I mean, sure they're okay, but the illustrations are crap! I just _know_ I can do better than that. Che, males nowadays have such low expectations."

Anko then bashed him on the head, "You! Shut up! I don't want you turning into a pervert now!"

"Meh, blame the one-eye."

Kakashi was now coughing nervously, "Er……er TEAM! Right, er…we need to go train now……I'll meet you at the same spot. Ja!" And quickly dashed out of the room.

Anko was engulfed in flames of female righteous anger, "KAKA-HENTAI! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE! I'LL CASTRATE YOU FOR DARE SHOWING MY OTOUTO THAT BOOK!" And she too ran off.

Kiba, Choji and Sasuke merely sweatdropped. Naruto chuckled for a while, before looking at Ino and Sakura, "Gomen, I've been acting like a jerk, I swear I'll start changing. Right now, can we……can we just be friends for the moment?"

Ino smiled widely, "Sure! Sakura and I were just discussing about it yesterday! Whilst doing some _very_ tiring _exercises _together, ne Sakura?" She was teasing Naruto, wanting to see the difference in reaction between him and the perverts, if there was one. Kiba was already unconscious due to blood overflow.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, before frowning, "Ino, training at night is bad for your health."

Sakura giggled as Ino's smile grew wider, "Ah, but you see, we weren't training _outside_, we were actually being _very _intimate _in _our room!"

Choji choked on his food.

Naruto relaxed, "Oh, that's good. It was quite cold last night. Glad that you didn't."

Sakura had no idea whether she should cheer for Naruto's 'purity' or cry for Naruto's 'stupidity'.

Ino went on, "Ah, wanna join us tonight?" She gently sucked on her forefinger, lips pouting, eyelids fluttering, chest slightly bent forward, "O-ne-ga-i……" Sasuke actually looked away. _(A/N: As much as I agree that Sasuke is actually Sasgay, but I told you, I don't write Yaoi, so sorry folks, he has to be straight in this story. LOL.)_

Naruto chuckled, "Ma, ma, maybe, we'll see. But for now, I need to go get Anko and start scouting out Gato's base. For today, can you and Sakura protect Tazuna once again? Gomen."

Ino sighed, "Mou, how can you resist my seduction? No fair!"

Naruto laughed, "Maybe because I know that's exactly what you're are trying to achieve. But anyway, I've got to go. Sakura, Ino, come here."

Sakura tilted her head, but nevertheless, went over, "What's……" She was silenced by a kiss on the forehead, "Be careful. Please." And he gave Ino a kiss on the cheek, "I mean it. Both of you. Promise me."

Sakura and Ino both blushed, before giving him a kiss each, one on each cheek, "Ok! You too! Don't mess up the mission!"

Naruto gave a wide grin, before dashing off into the distance.

Both stood there, savoring the feel of _his_ lips on _their_ faces. Ino then giggled, "Told ya."

Sakura sighed, before smiling once again, "Yup."

* * *

**_Back with Naruto…… _**

"Anko-chan! Oi! Stop killing that pervert! I've got news for you." Naruto rolled his eyes. As much as he enjoyed watching Kakashi getting the _crap_ beaten out of him because of his perverseness, still, there's a time for everything. Now's not it for sure.

Anko growled one last time at a mutilated Kakashi, "I swear, this isn't over." She then huffed and brushed off the imaginary dirt on her blouse, "Ne, Naru-chan, what's up?"

_She's bipolar……definitely…… _

**_Ya think? _**

_Fox, sarcasm is not very nice you know…… _

**_Ah……and I care about your crappy opinion because…… _**

_See, see, that's why you haven't got a girl…… _

**_I'm the FREAKING demon lord! I don't need no girl! _**

_Attitudes like this get you nowhere…… _

**_WHY YOU!!! _**

_The truth hurts, I know. But hey, relax, you get to learn…… _

**_GIVE ME ONE REASON WHY I SHOULDN'T JUST BURST OUT OF THIS FREAKING CAGE AND END YOUR LIFE?! _**

_You can't……… _

**_………… _**

_Told ya. Now, laters. _

**_………One day…one day…… _**

"Okay, Kakashi-san, this involves you as well. Right……I met the 'hunter-nin' this morning, out there in the woods."

Anko's eyes bulged out, "NANI?!" Even Kakashi was shocked, "Are you hurt?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Nah, we didn't fight. She……"

"He's a she?!"

"You know, that's wrong on so many levels."

"No one asked for your opinion, Kaka-hentai!"

Naruto sweatdropped, "But anyways, right, here's the deal. I offered them asylum."

Silence……then the expected, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?!"

And Kakashi's, "You serious?"

Naruto nodded, "They are hired by Gato, and since our mission is to assassinate that fat bastard, I reckon this will help. Besides, Zabuza merely wants a free passage, I could get ji-san to enlist him into Konoha's forces, that way, it'll be a win-win situation. I came here to inform Kakashi-san, that if they do attack, do not seriously engage them at first, ask them about this and see if you can convince them."

Anko shook her head, "I thought I'm going senile……but this takes the cake. Brat……"

Naruto grinned innocently, "I learn from the best."

Sadistic grins filled their faces, making Kakashi slowly inch away from them. Anko cleared her throat, "Alright then. Off we go. Kaka-hentai, you better take good care of my precious prodigies, or I will NEUTER you. Ya hear me?"

Kakashi gulped and muttered, " Crystal."

Anko gave a satisfied nod, before dashing off, with Naruto right behind her.

Kakashi sighed, before finally taking out his 'precious', and rubbed it gently to his cheek, "Now, my sweet, let's continue where Aya-chan was sucking……UUUUAAAAAAGGGHHH!!! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

* * *

**_With Naruto and Anko…… _**

"You swapped the book for a yaoi version of it, didn't you?" Naruto asked, amused at the frustrated cry he heard in the distance.

Anko grinned maniacally, "You didn't think I would let him off this easily would you?" Then her face turned serious, "Alright, infiltration time. You take the left, I'll take the right. Meet in half an hour. Over and out." Before she shunshin-ed to her designated position.

Naruto smirked, before he muttered, "Genjutsu: Akiraka Jiseki! _(Illusion Technique: Clear Trace)_ and camouflaged himself within the surroundings, "Sure."

* * *

**_With Sakura and Ino…… _**

"Awww……they're learning to climb trees……look darling…aren't they just _cwwwwuuuute?_" chuckled Ino as she jeered at team 6.

Sasuke scowled at the two girls that were currently standing on the lake pointing out their flaws and laughing at them. He was supposed to be the best, an avenger! But here they were……laughing……at him……

Sakura cooed, "Oooh, look! Dog boy just fell! At least Choji's got it going! Awww, he didn't make it. Woah, is that emo-pants slipping? Gosh! SO UNEXPECTED!" _(A/N: I don't think that will ever happen anywhere other than in my story, so whoever enjoys this kind of Sasuke Bashing, well……ENJOY!) _

Ino immediately followed up, "Indeed, this was his, what, sixtieth try? And STILL he couldn't get it? Oh my! Surely, _surely_ the _prodigy_ can do soooo much better than that? That was pathetic."

"I know eh! I mean, come on, this guy, supposedly the best, I'm ashamed. I can't believe I was ranked behind this guy. The shame."

"And to think he actually has fangirls. I thought he was gay."

"Meh, maybe he is." _(A/N: Okay, I'm cracking up now……) _

"Yeah, probably is, I mean who has that kind of hair-style anymore? Looks like a duck!"

"Nah, more like……drowning sort of duck?"

"But ducks can swim right?"

"That's the point."

"Oh. So right, the last Uchiha is inferior."

"Duh."

"As much as I like hearing this active and _amazing_ commentary going on, I must stop you before poor old Sasuke falls again. You two are disrupting their concentration, might I add that you've been around Naruto too much?" grumbled a certain amused Jounin as he walked out of the trees.

Sakura and Ino immediately pouted, "But it's soooooo boring. I mean come on! I was so sure THE Uchiha could've put on a better show, and all I see is him getting owned by a tree. That's not even funny. Ne, Kakashi-sensei! Can we just go and guard Tazuna now? Watching workers move stuff is better."

Okay, to say Sasuke was fuming is a severe understatement. Kiba and Choji were laughing their asses off, and due to their exhilarated emotions, they actually successfully reached the top of the tree! Meanwhile, a certain Uchiha, due to his highly enraged state, failed to make it to even half their pace. And that……certainly wasn't adding to his ego at all.

Kakashi sighed, "Sasuke, you should know better than to let your emotions hinder your skill. Kiba and Choji were criticized too, but in case you didn't notice, amidst the whole insulting part, Kiba and Choji were paying close attention, therefore correcting their flaws to improve. You however, merely ignored them and let anger cloud your judgment. Like they said, it's pathetic."

Sasuke gritted his teeth at that, eyes glaring at them, swearing murder. Kakashi merely shook his head slightly, "Hate me all you want, but the truth must be said. You want to be stronger, you have to control your anger. Now, moving along, everyone take a break, we'll be going with Tazuna in ten minutes."

He then turned over and eye-smiled at Sakura and Ino, "Thanks for that. Even if it was a little too extreme."

Ino merely replied coyly, "Our sensei taught us well."

Kakashi immediately cringed at the thought of their 'sensei'. _More like devil woman, how? How could she do this me? My Icha Icha Paradise! Gone! And that's not all! She actually swapped it for the Dandou Seikoi Paradise! (Male Homosexual Paradise) THE HORROR! _

Sakura noticed his visible sweating and asked, "Ne, Kakashi-san, daijoubu? _(You okay?)_"

Kakashi gulped, "Ye-yeah……I'm fine……let's just go."

* * *

**_With Naruto and Anko…… _**

"This is stupid." Naruto grumbled as he met Anko half an hour later.

Anko raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, well, there isn't really any other way to do this is there?"

Naruto groaned, "We could just steal their uniforms and go in!"

Anko snorted, "And inhale those disgusting sweaty smells? Hell no, I like my body to smell fresh, thank you very much."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Oh really, then what about that time when you were in that room, masturb……mphmf……"

Anko clamped his mouth shut, blushing slightly, "Stupid brat, were you peeping?"

Naruto sighed, "Look, you, are, loud. Simple as that. Be grateful I put up a sound barrier for you. You seemed to have forgotten in the midst of your……activities……"

Anko smirked, "Ah, bet you would like to see wouldn't you?"

Naruto actually stopped, before thinking aloud, "Yeah……probably…nah……"

She frowned, "What's with the 'nah' at the end?"

"Well, first let's not say you would kill me, or the fact that I might die of a nosebleed." Anko snickered at this.

Naruto went on, "Well, I treat you like my older sister, and as much as I am tempted, I'll have to say no."

"Awww, I'm so happy. By the way, that reason was pretty lame and sappy."

"Yeah, yeah, just remember, please, PLEASE, the next time you do that, keep it down, god I couldn't sleep that night……urgh……anyways, back to the question at hand, why do I have to go in using my Oiroke no jutsu and you in a henge like a prostitute?"

Anko sighed, "Look, what do you expect a fat pig like that to want if he is rich?"

"I see where you are coming from, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Grrr……fine, I'll castrate them if they dare defile you. I swear."

Anko smiled appreciatively, "Awww, my otouto loves me, sniff, I could cry."

"Damn, didn't bring a camera."

"Ah shut it, ready?"

"Sigh…fine. Oiroke no jutsu!" And a familiar cloud of smoke appeared.

* * *

**_With Kakashi's side…… _**

"Yosh, we've arrived, let's start working people!" yelled Tazuna……only to find people groaning everywhere. Some were on the verge of dying whilst others were crippled. Blood was splattered everywhere.

Kakashi immediately ran over and sensed for any hostile chakra, _none at the moment._ He ordered his team and the two females of team 6 to gather the injured and see if it's possible to treat them.

Meanwhile, Tazuna was in shock, he gritted his teeth and ran over to the nearest worker, "Why? What happened?"

The worker only mumbled two words, "Mist……demon……"

* * *

**_Back with Anko and Naruto…… _**

"Hey, sweetie, where do ya think you're going? Surely you have some time with good ole me?" laughed a drunk, fat security guard as he saw the approaching 'Naruko' and Anko.

One swift punch and he was out of commission. Anko clucked, "Ma, as much as I appreciate your protectiveness, the _point_ of dressing like this was to make them act this way."

Naruto scoffed, "Yeah, it was. But it doesn't mean disgusting fat bastards, drunk even, are supposed to react that way. I won't take it."

Anko chuckled, "Well, well, seems you really hate fat people, what would Choji say?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Choji's not fat! Puh-leaze, that guy is all muscle, if we really, really fight just on pure strength, that guy's a tank!"

* * *

**_Again, on the bridge…… _**

"Ninpo: Baika no jutsu! Soshite, Konoha Ryu Taijutsu: Nikudan Sensha! I'll crush you all! _(Ninja arts: Enlarge technique, and then, Leaf Village style taijutsu: Meat Tank!)_ and with that, Choji successfully kept those stupid kusa-nukenin _(Grass missing-nin)_ at bay.

Kiba wasn't one to be discouraged, "Ikuso, Akamaru! TSUGA! _(Let's go Akamaru! Swirling Fang!)_" and together, both formed individual mini-hurricanes, tearing through the enemy lines.

Sasuke was holding his own pretty well, "Katon: Hosenka no jutsu!" and breathed out several small fireballs taking out a two man ame-nukenin _(Rain-missing nin) _team. He panted slightly. They have been fighting for over ten minutes. The army was huge. At least for them. All they had on their side were five genins and one jounin, who was currently occupied by the Kiri-nukenin, Momochi Zabuza.

Sakura and Ino were having no problems, at least for now, but at the rate they are going, their chakra would be pretty much gone after another ten minutes. Even with the soldier pills, they could only probably hold on for another five. But right now, they had to try their best, "Ino! Ready?"

"Hell yeah! Let them have it!"

Sakura jumped straight into the air, "Rankyaku: Tora Gari! _(Storm Legs: Tiger Hunt)_" unbalancing a quarter of the nukenins, it was immediately followed by Ino's attack, "Ninpo: Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Immediately, tons of weapons began to rain down on those nins, and whilst they are blinded by the attack, Sakura finished them off, "Rankyaku: Byakurai! _(White Lightning)_" and blasted them out of the way with her chakra shockwaves.

Ino panted for a while, before forming the seals as she called out to Sakura, "Do it!"

Sakura dug her foot deeply into the ground beneath her, formed the respective seals, before mustering all of her strength, and using her chakra control, she molded the blocks of dirt into hard boulders, before yelling, "Doton: Ishi Saku no jutsu! _(Earth Element: Rock Barrage technique)_" and right after that, Ino finished hers, "Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu! _(Fire Element: Big Fireball technique)_"

Right on time, the rocks and the huge fireball met, forming sizzling hot rock blasts at the enemy nukenins, "Nigyo Kentai: Ryuusei! _(Two Element Combinations: Comet)_"

Needless to say, all those in the way got blasted into oblivion.

* * *

**_Back with Naruto and Anko…… _**

"It's quiet. Too quiet." Anko mumbled as they went from room to room, mostly finding either drunks or the room is empty.

Naruto frowned, "Well…they could all be……gone…somewhere……no way……" His eyes widened in horror, "No bloody way!"

Just as he was about to dash out of this filthy place and rush over to the bridge, he ran into someone who was apparently, rushing to get somewhere as well.

His eyes widened, "Haku!"

* * *

**_Bridge…… _**

"So…looks like the demon still wants to be on the run. Can't say it wasn't expected. You _are_ the one who killed all your fellow comrades in the genin exam after all." Kakashi gritted his teeth as once again, he clashed with the kiri-nukenin.

Zabuza snorted, "Look, I have no idea what you're on about, but be warned Sharingan no Kakashi, I do have a tolerance for your insults, and you have just breached it!" He roared once again as he formed the seals, "Suiton: Suigadan no jutsu! _(Water element: Water Fang Missile technique)_" only for it to be countered by Kakashi using the same technique.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "Didn't Haku tell you the deal Naruto offered?"

At that, Zabuza stopped, "What deal, if this is some kind of a joke……"

Kakashi shook his head, "No, this morning, Naruto met Haku and offered the both of you asylum in Konoha."

Silence……then, "You're fucking shitting me aren't you? There's no way that can be true!"

Kakashi sighed, "Well, Naruto made it true. So, care to explain why you turned down this deal?"

Zabuza looked at him as though he were crazy, "I didn't even know this deal in the first place you asshole."

* * *

**_Back with Anko and Naruto…… _**

"Where are the rest?! Where is Zabuza! Didn't you tell him the deal?!" Naruto asked enraged.

Haku bit her lips, before uttering words that shocked Naruto and Anko to the core, "I never reached him in time. He was gone by the time I arrived back here. Gato ordered all the nukenins to gather at the bridge……including one hundred bandits as well……"

Before she even finished her sentence, Naruto had dashed off. His own safety and identity be damned, _Sakura-chan, Ino-chan, Kakashi-san, Kiba, Choji……even that emo, please, just…just stay alive…… _

* * *

**_At the Bridge…..._**

Kiba and Choji were exhausted. Sasuke, too, had reached his limits. There were just too many. But at least, they triumphed, they had beaten those nukenins into the ground, even if three quarters of them were mere D-rank nukenins, hey, it was still an accomplishment.

Sakura and Ino were back to back, panting as they watched the remains of their enemies. It was over. Finally. About time too, their chakra was almost used up, having barely enough to allow them to move around. Contrary to popular belief, firing continuous ninjutsu does require a lot of chakra (Sarcasm is intended).

Zabuza was still letting the shock of what Kakashi get to him, "So……you mean I could have not wasted all these time mingling with those puny bastards and just protected that old man and get safe passage within the entire fire country?!"

Kakashi gave a grave nod, finally understanding the mistake and severity of the situation. At least, Zabuza didn't really harm a Konoha nin……not yet.

Zabuza gave a huge sigh, before mumbling something. Kakashi strained his ears, "What?"

Zabuza gave a tired, yet somewhat hopeful reply, "I said, One-eye, does the offer still stand?"

* * *

**_With Anko and Haku…… _**

"WHAT?! SAY THAT AGAIN?!" Anko practically roared in fury as she dashed, side by side along with the 'hunter-nin' apprentice of Zabuza.

Haku grimaced, "I heard from the guards. Gato imported ten new weapons today, that was the reason for the huge boost of confidence. The actual plan was to attack a week later. But this time, Gato apparently ordered Zabuza to attack, even in his weakened state, along with all the other nukenins."

Anko shook her head in disbelief as she struggled to catch up to the blond. _That kid, I'm gonna fucking kill him, using Shunpo like that, I swear……_

Haku continued, "Anko-san, that's not all. Gato…he…" At this she bit her lips, "He ordered the bandits to stay hidden and get the bodyguards holding the weapons to form a circle around him. Those ten would be the main attack force should the nukenin fail. The tactic was for those bandits and himself to hide within the mist, waiting for the best opportunity to strike. That man got scared after hearing that Konoha's two best jounins are here."

Anko cursed, "You seem pretty scared of this new weapon. What is it? Is it powerful?"

Haku shivered, "It's imported from the west, it uses some kind of powder that ignites when lit and promptly sends a metal pellet blasting off at a high speed, causing small explosions to occur once the pellet meets a resistance. It's highly used in the western countries as a first-class assassination tool. I heard it was just released a few weeks ago."

"How the hell did this bastard get it then?!"

"Gato is a very wealthy man, and has been able to acquire ten of these from the black market……it's called…a rifle, if I remember correctly."

* * *

**_And we go back to the bridge…… _**

Before Kakashi could even answer, Gato's disgusting voice rang through the area, "Ha, some demon you are Zabuza, bowing your head to the enemy. Pathetic! Hmph, I never planned to pay you anyway, boys!"

And to the utmost horror of the Konoha nins and Tazuna, two men stepped forward, bringing with them a woman with long navy-colored hair and a boy with short black hair.

Tazuna almost died at the sight of them, "TSUNAMI! INARI!"

Sakura gritted her teeth, "Bastard."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, "This has now become very, very complicated."

The mist was slowly clearing and behind Gato, there stood ready, one hundred or so bandits, brandishing their weapons, snickering maniacally all the while. The ten that were in front of them held weapons never seen before. The weapons looked like wood sticks, yet had this hole within them, there was a latch for putting stuff in, and something that looked like a plug. _(If you don't understand, he means the trigger, sorry for my crappy description)_

Kakashi cursed as he eyed the state his team was in, Kiba and Choji basically couldn't move anymore, at least, not for shinobi standards. Sasuke was experiencing chakra fatigue but could still fight. Sakura and Ino are barely pulling through. That was to be expected, seeing how the two girls took out more than half of the nukenins combined.

He himself……while having three quarters of his chakra left, had definitely no chance against this many people. Even with Zabuza on their side, it was hopeless. Zabuza was still injured and quite weak to say the least. Even if Anko and Naruto came back, the chance would still be slim.

Just then, a soft voice rung out, "Hijutsu: Makyou Hyoushou _(Hidden Technique: Ice Crystal Magic Mirror Technique)_" Instantly, ice mirrors began to form out of the mist, closing off on a quarter of the bandits, in a few seconds, screams of pain were heard from within.

Before Gato could even respond, another voice called out, "Seneijashu! _(Multiple Snake Shadow Hands)_" snakes stroke at point-blank range, taking out another five, before Anko bit her finger and slammed her hand onto the ground, "Kuchiyose: Ja Hebi Shutsu Hora _(Summon: Evil Snakes Ground Entrance)_"

At that call, the ground around her cracked, and swarms of snake flew out, instantly taking out another ten, immobilizing a further five. Behind her, Naruto was ready, "Fuuton: Fuuryudan! Katon: Shakkakyu! _(Wind Element: Wind Dragon Missile, Fire Element: Crimson Flame Ball)_" He took in a deep breath, both his hands charging up the energy globes, before blasting them all out at the same time, between Anko and Haku's group, "Nigyo Kentai: Rekka! _(Two Element Combinations: Extreme Flames!)_"

The effective sudden attacks quickly caught the bandits of guard, neutralizing half of the army instantly, however, Gato soon got hold of his bearings and roared, "Stop right now, unless you want these two to die!"

All tensed as Naruto, Anko and Haku appeared, glaring at the short fat man. The man cackled, "See! See how useless you are! I can't believe I even hired you! Hmph, good thing I never intended to pay you after all. Now, kill them! Kill them all! All ten of you!" Gato roared as those holding the rifle stepped forward.

They filled it up with gunpowder, and took aim, five shooting first, followed by five waiting on standby. This way, the time interval in between shortens by a considerable amount, making it very deadly.

Naruto and Anko's eyes widened, "NO! KAKASHI! GET THEM OUT OF THE WAY!"

"FIRE!" In an instant, five bangs were heard, and quick as a flash, Kakashi grabbed both Sakura and Ino's waist before pulling them to the side, meanwhile, Zabuza had blocked the shots before they reached the other three boys.

Wherever the shots hit, small flames and even an tiny explosion occurred sometimes. The genins shuddered at the power of the weapon, if it were to hit someone on the body………

Naruto could only watch helplessly as the genins tried to dodge the shots. Kakashi finally had enough, "Doton: Doryu Heki! _(Earth element: Earth Encampment Shield)_" Zabuza formed his own seals and muttered, "Suiton: Suijin Heki! _(Water Element: Water Encampment Shield)_"

The shots were temporarily halted, but slowly, bit by bit, the shields were getting blasted apart. Kakashi gritted his teeth and looked over at Sakura and Ino, only to see them looking at him, as though asking for permission.

He saw the determination in his eyes and sighed, "You'll still go even if I stop you. But please, stay safe. Sasuke and I will give you as much cover as possible. Zabuza will hold the shield for the rest of us. GO!"

In an instant, they were gone, he gave the hand signal to Sasuke, whose eyes only widened for a moment, before settling for a confident gaze, "Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!" He yelled as rushed out of the water shield and fired a huge fireball at the ten riflemen.

Kakashi had acted quickly, he slammed his hands down on the ground, "Doton: Doryudan! _(Earth Element: Earth Dragon Missile)_" The missiles fired through a mud dragon that emerged from the ground and ignited, blasting the riflemen down, temporarily rendering them useless.

Sakura however, charged up her legs with chakra, and leapt into the air, "Rankyaku: Kaichou! _(Storm Legs: Victory Bird)_" That familiar eagle-shaped shockwave appeared and charged right for the two holding down Inari and Tsunami, slicing right through their torsos. Ino once again threw a shuriken into the air, "Ninpo: Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu! Soshite, Katon: Hosenka no jutsu!" The small fireballs hid the shurikens within them and rained down upon the bandits, and that was all it took, one small distraction.

"NARUTO! DO IT!" In a flash, utilizing his developed step method Shunpo _(Flash step)_, he flickered into view, grabbing a dumbfounded Inari and a gasping Tsunami off the ground before dashing out of view again, only stopping when he place them both behind Kakashi's Doryuheki.

Anko and Haku were just about to continue when suddenly, the bandits in the middle front part moved aside to show a huge as cannon, "Alright! I had enough of you pests! Kill those two bitches first!" yelled Gato.

Sakura and Ino were both in the air, barely landing on the ground, before the bandits gleefully lit the fuse. Both pairs of eyes widened in terror, before the dreaded sound of Gato shouted, "UTEI! _(FIRE!)_"

Naruto gritted his teeth as he watched on in shock, the cannon totally out of expectation, "SAKURA! INO! NOOOOOOOO!!!!" He roared as he dashed towards then, pouring all of his chakra into his legs, not caring that over using Shunpo might give him chakra exhaustion, which could result in death. Right now, right now……it doesn't matter!

His heart and mind broke when he saw those beautiful faces, both wearing sad smiles, as though saying "Gomen Naru-kun……" He was too slow.

The cannon ball blasted towards them just as they landed and before they were able to react, the thing blew up. **KABOOM!** A huge explosion followed the blast.

Dust and tiles flying everywhere, the mere shockwave of the attack was able to break down the Doryuheki and Suijinheki, granted they weren't too, too strong, but still, to be able to do that, it clearly showed the power of the blast.

At that moment, something within Naruto snapped. His mind was blank. He couldn't think of anything or anyone. Only the two precious to him. The oh-so-loving smile of the beautiful cherry blossom, and the charming, mischievous smile of his hime. _No……no…… _

Just then, the ground behind him cracked and out came Anko along with Sakura and Ino, "Shhhiiittt, that was WAY too close for comfort, I'm glad I learned that."

Naruto spun around and watched as Sakura and Ino lay there, unconscious, tears in their eyes, slowly drifting down their cheeks. Their arms were suffering from second degree burns, and cuts from debris were all over body.

He gently caressed their cheeks, before he turned around, facing Haku, "Can you heal them?" His tone was deathly silent, it wasn't a question. It was damn near a command.

Haku gulped, somehow, Naruto's eyes had just went icy cold, just like the time where he threatened Haku regarding his teammates. He quickly nodded and muttered, "Shosen no jutsu." And quick as a flash, she began to heal the two battered kunoichis.

Naruto suddenly started trembling, his eyes slowly became slit as blood red pupils stood in the place of his once cerulean ones. His body started to sizzle, and to Anko and Kakashi's horror, red hot chakra began to engulf his body, burning all that dares to stand in its path. It slowly formed a spiral around him, healing all the cuts he got from before.

Anko immediately yelled, "NARUTO! DON'T! THEY'RE OKAY! DON'T GIVE IN!"

Naruto ignored her as the intensity of the chakra increased at an alarming rate. It wasn't just chakra force, it was killing intent. An audible growl was heard being emitted from Naruto as he crouched down on all fours.

His facial features grew more feral, and the malicious chakra that swirled around him only served to increase his intimidating glares. The chakra boiled with rage as it flooded the entire bridge, no one was spared. The killing intent was insane. It skyrocketed the moment Naruto raised his head and gave a deafening roar of fury to the heavens.

His crimson red orbs glared at the pissing bandits and a terrified Gato in front of him. He raised his newly formed claws in front of him, as he brandished his canines, "**YOU DARE HURT THOSE THAT I DEEM PRECIOUS!**"

He then stood back on two legs, eyes locking onto the despicable crowd in front of him, "**YOU WILL PAY!**"

And even as Anko tried to get to her otouto, Kakashi stopped her, for fear of the Kyuubi's chakra poisoning her, that and the fact that it was so intense that getting through it would prove impossible.

She could only whimper his name as she witnessed the most terrifying sight she has ever seen. Her precious, kind young brother, about to commit a massacre.

Sasuke, Kiba, Choji were all knocked out by the intense killing intent straight, Tazuna, Haku, Zabuza, Kakashi and Anko were barely coping with it, when all of a sudden, the aura disappeared.

With a simple Shunpo, he was gone.

Gato was having the crap scared out of him, "FIRE! FIRE THE CANNON! RIFLES! SWORDS! WHATEVER! JUST DON'T LET HIM GET TO ME!" And he began to waddle as fast as he could towards his end of the bridge.

His men did as they were told and within seconds, blasts were rained in Naruto's direction, or, where they thought he was. Anko cried out in anxiety as she watched the explosions once again. Kakashi however reassured her, "Don't worry, this is Naruto in control. Only other time I've seen him like this……was protecting Hyuga Hinata at the age of five."

Anko gasped, "That early?!"

Kakashi gave a grave nod, "Indeed, but since then, he has never entered this state once, this is the second time. I really hope, for all of Konoha, that there shall never be a need for him to enter it a third time."

Zabuza could only gape at the way Naruto just appeared out of nowhere and sliced the bandits to pieces with his elongated claws. His nails were at least five centimeters long, and they seemed to rival even metal in terms of hardness, seeing how mere swats could cause the swords to break.

Haku watched on in awe and fear as the blond that seemed to be kind and caring lash out in such anger. _Naruto-kun……is this your way of protecting your precious people? _

Naruto roared, "**Sankon Chi Tsume! **_(Soul Reaping Blood Claws)_" And without mercy, he sent a swipe at the remaining bandits, a huge red, bubbling hot chakra wave was sent right at the remaining bandits. They were obliterated on contact, with no ways of defending as the immense poison and heat of Kyuubi's chakra ate through their bodies.

The whole bridge was filled with blood, bodies everywhere, arms legs, skin were hanging off the handrails. It was a gruesome sight, but in the middle of all these stood Naruto as his eyes searched for the one responsible for his anger, for _their_ anger. It was time to end this.

He dashed off with another Shunpo and grabbed Gato in one quick move by the neck and held him up by the throat. His blood red eyes stared into those of the pitiful vermin. He slowly tightened his claw as he watched the man squirm in vain, trying to get him to release.

"**I've got one thing to say before I sent you to hell.**" Naruto's kyuubified voice rang through the area. Kakashi and Anko stiffened as that malicious tone gave them terrible memories way back. Zabuza and Haku flinched, knowing that this guy was far beyond their abilities. This……this was a _real_ demon.

Kyuubi Naruto growled once more, "**You harm the ones precious to me, you shall face the consequences.**" His claw tightened even further, before he gave a deafening roar, "**YOU MESS WITH THE BEST, YOU DIE LIKE THE REST!**" And with a quick clench of fist, Gato's head was ripped from his torso, ending his pathetic life.

It was then, that the chakra slowly began to recede, with the feral features slowly returning back into Naruto. His panting could be heard from even there, and Anko could take it no longer, she dashed towards her otouto, "NARUTO!"

She didn't care anymore, even if it _is _the kyuubi, she didn't care. She wanted to just stop Naruto. This innocent child wasn't meant to be such a cold-blooded murderer at such a young age. She hated it. Such was the life of a shinobi.

Kakashi knew it as well, as he too ran after Anko, before standing at a distance, watching Anko sob whilst she tightly embraced her surrogate brother. She loved him so much, and it was times like these that she wanted to just send him somewhere safe, where he didn't have to face such violent times. She was selfish, so what? Just this once, just this once……she really wanted to do it……

Then, a weak chuckle was heard as Naruto's soft and gentle voice spoke out, "I'm fine Ne-chan, really." Anko took one look at his face and one she saw those beautiful cerulean orbs, she cried out in joy before hugging him once again, "Oh thank god, I was so worried. Oh god, Naruto. Please, please, don't ever do that again. I don't know what I'll do if I lost you to…to……"

Naruto gave a reassuring nod, before he looked into the distance, "How's Sakura and Ino?"

Kakashi had appeared by his side now, "They're fine. Haku knows medical ninjutsu and are helping them recover at this moment. This…is finally over. You did well Naruto. I'm proud of you."

Naruto gave a small grin, before he closed his eyes and lost conscious.

"Naruto? NARUTO!" Anko yelled in fear, but Kakashi immediately clapped a hand on her shoulder, "Relax, he's just suffering from chakra exhaustion and mental fatigue. Let him rest for a few days and he'll be fine."

Just then, Tazuna, along with Inari and Tsunami came with a lot of other villagers who had appeared due to that crazy explosion of chakra just now. The villagers were staring at the scene before them, all the dead bodies, mutilated ones. It just seemed unreal. And there was Gato's head, separated from his body.

Tsunami and Tazuna immediately asked, "Are you alright? How's the kid?"

Anko bit her lips, before giving a bitter smile, "Fine……just fine……" And as she slowly caressed her brother's cheek, tears began to fall from her eyes as she remembered the pain Naruto had shown when he had transformed.

Kakashi saw it and pulled her in for a small embrace, with Naruto in between them, trying to comfort Anko. Anko barely stifled her tears as she muttered, "I'll protect you, even at the cost of my life……I swear to god Naruto……I won't let you leave me……"

Kakashi gave a sigh as he looked into the sky, "You won't be alone, Anko. You never will be. We will all pull through this together. We must. Let it out Anko. Just this once, lay down your mask, let it all out."

Anko closed her eyes as more tears flowed out, and began crying as she cuddled Naruto's head in her arms, never wanting to let go. Her tears fell freely, as she laughed through the tears of joy, and sobbed through the tears of pain. It was a heart-wrenching sight, and most of the villagers fall silent, as the cries of this female rang through the air.

The tragedy was over, Gato was killed, and the Wave country was liberated, but somehow, no one felt as happy as they should, for the tears of the woman and the peaceful smile on the blond spoke volumes to the crowd.

Life is unfair. Yes it is. But always remember, you're not the only one who has it tough in your life.

* * *

**_OH MY GOD! THAT WAS FREAKING LONG! NINE THOUSAND WORDS PEOPLE! MY PERSONAL HIGH! _**

**_Now, now, come on, tell me how you felt. I'll accept anything. Oh my god, this was so unexpected. I was just going to type my usual four thousand words when the ideas just kept flowing. I can't believe it myself. I don't care, this is now officially my favorite chapter. I doubt I can do better than this. _**

**_I'm sorry if there seemed a lack of fluff, but hey, if you look closely, I reckon there's actually more than enough fluff. Also, no, this is NOT a NaruAnko, and NOT a NaruHaku. It is SakuNaruIno. _**

**_I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I do. You have no idea how many times I had to change my wording just to get this right. The last scene was surprisingly tough, because I really wanted you guys to feel what Anko should be feeling in this story. It felt so real to me though. I could actually picture it. _**

**_I tried my best, and hope for the best. Review and give me your thoughts. I think I deserve that much for writing this chap. Well, then, good day to you all. XD _**


	16. Aftermath

**_A/N: Well, well, looks like last chapter was quite a success. YES! Now, I have to remind you that last chap was a 'special' chap. I will definitely NOT give you chaps of nine thousand words on a regular basis. Those who do are my idols. _**

**_Anyways, time for some nice, normal fluff. Lol, I think some of you had enough of my lamely written action anyway, so let's continue. _**

**_Once again, I have to say this, you read this to have fun right? SO ENJOY!! XD _**

**_Disclaimer: Lol, lmao, rofl, whatever. Don't own means don't own. Simple as that. _**

* * *

I Will Believe 

Chapter 16: Aftermath 

Gato was eliminated, Wave Country was liberated, Haku and Zabuza agreed to the deal, and everything has basically returned to normal. After the fight, Anko had brought Naruto straight back to Tazuna's house and had gotten Haku to treat him non-stop. She too helped wherever she could, and Kakashi even copied the medical jutsu down and did his part.

Sasuke, Kiba and Choji woke up soon after and stared wide-eyed at the beaten up form of Team 6. Sakura and Ino were still unconscious, however, they were out of the danger zone. Naruto slept for three days straight before he woke up. During that time, he had a very serious conversation with a certain fox.

_Ah man……this sucks……my body feels like crap…… _

**_Expected, seeing how you basically poisoned your body with a ridiculous amount of my chakra. _**

_Damn, I thought my training might have improved my limits a little bit. _

**_Yes, yes, a little bit, what you did was a lot. _**

_Ne, ne, fox, how long will I be okay again? _

**_We'll have to see, as long as you are able to move around normally in here, you'll be fine. Now, once again, brat, I warn you. _**

_Yeah, yeah, I won't overexert myself again……unless I have to. _

**_There are CONSEQUENCES! You don't just go berserk on everyone when you feel rage! You are NOT me. You do not have the ability to do that. You are a human, not a demon. _**

_……… _

**_Kit, listen, my chakra has its advantages and disadvantages. For now, we'll work on the cons first. That way, you'll be able to fully utilize whatever power you could handle. _**

_Right……sorry…I guess…… _

**_You have nothing to be sorry of. You showed them good. Blasted beings……I can't believe I'm sealed by one of your kind…… _**

_Kyuubi…… _

**_Right, right, I'll drop it. Now, tell me this before we start. How are you feeling? _**

_……about what? _

**_Don't give me that, you know what I'm talking about. _**

_………I…I don't know. It feels wrong to kill……but it felt so right when I crushed those bastards……I don't know. _

**_There you have it. Your conscience and your inner demon instincts clashing. Trust me kit, killing is nothing in your profession. _**

_But…but they're still human beings! I…I just…took their lives…… _

**_BRAT! Listen, in this world we live in, be it demons or humans or whatever, only one rule applies. You die being killed, or you die killing. Simple as that. Only thing is, who do you kill. Is he worth it? Can you do it? No remorse need to be shown. You follow your own ideals. _**

_Right…… _

And after that talk, within Naruto's mind, a recovery training program is being carried out. Haku could only look on worriedly as the boy's face grimaced repeatedly during his rest. His body temperature, functions and all that all seem fine, yet the sweating and the pains just keep coming.

Anko was by his side as much as she could, revealing a side of her that Kakashi has rarely seen. It was unnerving maybe, to see the Snake Mistress of Konoha, a supposedly ruthless and maniacal individual just sitting there, numb, on the bed beside her precious brother, tending to his every need, begging him to wake up. But to Kakashi, it was a sign of a new beginning; no longer would Anko have to keep her mask on forever.

Sakura and Ino woke up the next day, their burns were treated and their upper torsos were bandaged to perfection, thanks to Haku. Ino burst into tears at the sight of Naruto, immediately staying by his side, refusing to leave. Sakura bit her lips, before going to see Haku. She learnt the basis of the Shosen no jutsu, and had did her part whilst doing the daily healing procedures.

Zabuza too recovered and apologized to Tazuna's family, before telling them his reasons for becoming a missing-nin. Apparently, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist had become too powerful for the liking of the Mizukage. Thus, assassinations were carried out, and due to a well-planned trap, the seven of them were framed and had all had to escape. Zabuza was extremely angry at the state of Kirigakure due to the Mizukage's selfish actions and had tried to rebel.

He found Haku when she was a girl and together, for five years, they were on the run non-stop, and lately, money is becoming more and more difficult to obtain. And so, when they heard this Gato guy was offering a lot of money just to assassinate one old man, naturally, they jumped at this opportunity.

Kakashi and Anko nodded in sympathy, understanding the difficulties of suffering under a tyrant, and reassured him once again, that the Hokage is nothing like that and will more than likely accept him into their ranks.

"Besides, the Hokage owes Naruto a favour if I remember correctly. I'm sure that's the reason why Naruto was so confident." Kakashi noted as he flipped another page of his 'precious' book, not failing to give his 'evil' glare at Anko every time she smirked.

For the fun of it, they held a 'friendly' spar. Sakura and Ino were the judges, and Kiba, Choji, Sasuke and Haku went one-on-one against each other. Needless to say, Sasuke was immensely pissed when Haku beat him easily. She didn't even have to use the Makyou Hyoushou _(Ice Crystal Magic Mirrors) _to battle. Just a simple timed senbon to a pressure point on the neck, with a basic Suiton jutsu to act as a distraction, bam, there you have it, one loss coming up.

Sasuke had refused to acknowledge defeat and tried again, but Haku denied the request and feinted exhaustion just so she could get away from the egoistical freak. Kiba and Choji had asked Sakura what her fighting form was, and she summed it up for them: A style based on freakish strength and superb control of chakra, able to send out chakra shockwaves just like projectiles to injure enemies, only much deadlier.

The Nigyo Kentai techniques however, were their pride. Sakura told them that it was Naruto that came up with the idea and integrated it into their elemental training. It was extremely successful. Ino was suited for fire techniques, her secondary element has yet to show. Sakura was straight out water and earth. They left out Naruto's though, because they had a gut feeling that _someone_ would be jealous if he heard that Naruto has all five affinities, though wind and fire are the primary ones.

And so the group spent the days like this, training, looking after Naruto, resting, chatting and so on. Team six tried their best to hide it but anyone could tell they were extremely worried for Naruto.

Finally two days later, at around five o'clock in the afternoon, our blond hero finally woke up. At that time, Ino and Sakura were in the room, taking turns in wiping the sweat from his brows. They had been there for two hours already and had fallen asleep. Ino on Naruto's chest, Sakura latching herself onto Naruto's arm.

He gave a slight groan, before opening his eyes a little, trying to get used to the light intensity in the room, before he acknowledged the fact that his best friends were currently right there, by his side. No words could adequately describe his joy at the sight of them. He was going to give them a hug, but seeing how they were all sleeping soundly, most likely due to the fatigue they experienced, he decided against it.

He gently removed their arms from his torso, and carried them onto the bed, before covering his blanket over them. He smiled widely, before giving his limbs a little stretch. During his recovery training, the grimaces that shown were basically Kyuubi 'whipping' him into shape. Damn that stupid fox was _such_ a slave driver. He hadn't trained too hard, only what was required to get his body back into shape.

The good news was that, due to him drawing on the Kyuubi's chakra this time around, his body has experienced the side effects, and with Kyuubi's help, his body was able to develop a sort of passive immunity to the poison of the chakra. Of course, too much would still injure him; however, normal amounts shouldn't be a problem.

He was just about to walk out when an idea came to mind. He grinned maniacally, as he slowly removed his bandages, making sure that all the wounds were healed, and left his upper torso naked. His toned muscles were out for the whole world to see.

He then began whistling, like he normally would when he was bored, before casually opening the door, and strolling downstairs. He reached the kitchen and to his glee, everyone was there. Anko and Tsunami were preparing dinner, Team 7 was just slacking around, Tazuna was drinking his sake and Kakashi reading his porn.

He continued his casual manner and entered the kitchen without much fuss. He sat down in a chair across Kakashi and yawned, "Konbanha! _(Good Evening)_ When's dinner ready?"

Team 7 didn't even look in his direction, merely snorting at his voice, dismissing this as a daily ritual for said blond, totally forgetting that said person should currently be unconscious on the bed.

Kakashi merely chuckled before looking up from his book, "Ma, ma, Naruto, dinner will…..be…ready……NARUTO?!"

At that, realization dawned on everyone as their heads spun around at the speed of light, they all looked on, slack-jawed, at a half naked Naruto smirking deviously at them, "My, my, I'm hurt, that's the welcome I get?"

Anko practically flew at him and pulled him into a tight embrace, sobbing whilst mumbling incoherent sentences that made of phrases like, 'Oh my god!', 'I was so worried!', 'Stupid brat', 'I'll kill you for that', ' Don't ever do that again'.

Kakashi could only sigh as Naruto slowly turned blue in the face, "Ne-chan……air…air!"

Anko gasped before releasing the poor blond from her hold, leaving the blond panting for his life. "Anko! I just came back from hell and you want to sent me there again?!"

Tazuna and the rest merely chuckled, when Kakashi asked, "So, where's Sakura and Ino?"

"I left them on the bed, they needed the rest and I didn't want to wake them."

"Ah, that's my otouto, typical gentleman."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Choji however gasped, "Woah, Naruto, your injuries are all healed! Not to mention all the muscles you've got now!"

Naruto mock scowled, "What do you mean now? I've got them all along?" He ended with his usual foxy grin, flexing his left bicep for emphasis.

Tsunami quickly looked to the side blushing, and Haku had to steady herself to stop her drooling. Honestly, compared to boys like Kiba and Sasuke, Naruto wasn't just superior, he was a god. That was the body of a warrior, not just the muscles, but the scars left behind in combat. Naruto happened to have a huge one from his left chest to his abdomen.

Naruto got that when he was seven. That damn chuunin just _had_ to use his kunai for something. Well, Naruto left it there as a reminder to himself that he must get stronger if he wants to protect his precious people. His physical training has definitely paid off.

Anko positively beamed as she watched the amazed expressions on the boys and the two females' faces. She had helped him train and she felt immensely proud that her brother was able to show off, especially in front of a supposed 'royal blood' Uchiha.

Kakashi and Zabuza didn't seem too surprised; after all, this was the image that a leader of a squad should present. Of course, his young age was to be taken into account, but overall, for them, it was to be expected.

Just then, the door to Naruto's room slid open, before two frantic girls emerged, "Naru-kun's gone missing! He…he……" Ino's eyes widened at the sight of a perfectly healthy Naruto.

Sakura's jaw smashed onto the ground, not believing what she's seeing. She stammered, "Is it……I'm…I'm not dreaming right?"

Naruto smiled, "I'm fine now."

In a second, he was hugged by both girls, "Oh god, Naruto, you scared us to death!"

Tears were streaming down their eyes now, Ino refused to let go, she glared Naruto fiercely in the eye, "I swear Uzumaki, if you dare pull that one off again, we're gonna……"

Sakura just hugged him, glad that he was fine, that's all she needed to know.

He held them in his arms tightly, "I know, I know……"

At that Kiba and Choji raised an eyebrow. Sasuke looked at them in confusion. Was it just them, or did the three seem more than just teammates? Or even friends at that.

Finally the three separated and Ino chuckled, "Come on, Naruto, put on some clothes, you might catch a cold."

Sakura sighed, "Even if your injuries are healed, there's no need to show off."

And so Kiba decided to voice his opinion, "Are you telling me the only reason you're surprised he's half naked is because of the lack of injuries?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "What did you think was the reason?"

Ino huffed, "Come on, we already know what Naru-kun's muscles look like. We train with him everyday. Get your minds out of the gutter."

Sakura added, "There's a reason why we commented on your team's manliness……or lack of it……" fully enjoying the embarrassed glares sent at her.

Naruto chuckled, before he looked both girls in the eyes, and pulled them into a warm embrace, "Don't ever do that again……you hear me? Please……"

Sakura closed her eyes, fully enjoying the fuzzy feeling in her chest, "Naruto……we're alright."

Ino merely giggled and hugged him back, "Naru-kun, you worry too much!"

He said nothing, before he pulled back and sighed, "Probably." He eye-smiled, a habit he got from Kakashi, "You're both too precious to not worry." He gently caressed Sakura's cheek, and kissed her forehead, "I know you care about me, but at times, don't overexert yourself."

He then ran his fingers through Ino's smooth hair, and brought her face close to his, "Especially you Ino, you go way overboard sometimes with your ninjutsu attacks." He sighed before giving her a small kiss on the cheek, "And of course, I need to stop being such a baka all the time eh?"

Sakura and Ino giggled before replying, "And Anko-sensei needs to be less crazy!" They dragged Anko to them and had a group hug, with Naruto shouting, "TEAM SIX?!"

"FULL OF TWISTS!" All three females yelled with extreme enthusiasm, especially Anko. She grinned widely at her team, "Now, I must say I'm extremely proud of you guys. You are the best team anyone could ever hope for, of course only one as smart and brave and beautiful and charming as me could ever lead you to success! Now, get the sake out and let's PARTY!"

Zabuza and Haku chuckled along with Kakashi at the childish display when the others all looked on shocked, "Sake?! _(A type of wine in Japan)_ They're underage!"

Anko smirked, "Well, like they say, old enough to kill, old enough to drink. Won't you agree?"

"Hell yeah." Naruto grinned, before both girls slapped him on the head, "Baka! You just recovered! Have some restraint!"

He whimpered, "But Sakura-chan……" And when he met with the furious glare, he turned to Ino, "Now, Ino-chan, I know for sure……" Again, he was treated with that irate gaze. He sighed, "Fine, fine, be that way."

Both girls could only sigh at his antics before giving in, "Alright, only half a bottle."

"YATTA!" yelled the extremely happy blond. Sakura shook her head at him, before moving to the kitchen to get the drinks.

Naruto then gazed over at the Kiri-nukenins, "Ah, right, we need to talk." He walked over to them, "I trust that you will hold your part of the deal?"

Zabuza immediately turned serious, "If it works out, brat, I owe you my life. I give you my word."

Haku too, was bowing before Naruto, when said blond merely shook his head, "No, you don't owe me anything. Just thank the Hokage, cut down your swearing and you'll be fine. I know for one Haku would be accepted no problem, however you might be on a probation period, under the surveillance of an Anbu team, so don't be surprised."

Zabuza raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and how do you know so much anyway?"

Naruto chuckled, "I didn't slack around when I had one of the best teachers tutoring me now, did I? Not to mention Ji-san treats me as a relative, and for that, I'm forever grateful. Now Haku."

He turned to face the porcelain girl, shock was shown on her face as she clearly did not expect him to speak to her so suddenly, "Your ability to form ice……just a question, is it combining wind and water natures together?"

Haku tilted her head, studying him for a bit before answering, "Yes, but usually one would need a bloodline to allow these two natures to mix. Seeing how they are practically opposites. Wind focuses on attack; water nature is mainly for dodging and speed. Unless you have supreme control over your chakra, I'm sorry, I can't teach it to you."

Naruto thought for a moment, before a grin widened on his face, "We'll see about that soon enough. Thanks though, if it weren't for you, we might not have made it out alive. Your medical ninjutsu was a life saver, literally."

Haku merely gave a small smile in return, "It's the least I can do for you Naruto-kun."

Just then, Sakura came back with the sake, and Naruto gleefully went over to her, before stopping all of a sudden. The devious glint appeared in his eyes. He focused on Tazuna, "Well, well, Old man, still think we're too young?"

Tazuna could only laugh at that. Yep, throughout the journey, he's been proved wrong numerous times. He was impressed. And so, naturally, Naruto went to focus on the next target. Oh the joy.

And now, the moment Naruto's been waiting forever, "Oh Inari……" His smug smirk was plastered all over his face, "Inari? Remember our talk?"

Said boy blushed a deep red, before looking away in embarrassment, "Y-yes……"

"Do you remember saying that we would all lose?"

"……Y-yes……I-I do……"

"And what happened?" If possible, Naruto's grin just got wider.

Inari fidgeted uncomfortably, eyes pleading with his mother and grandfather but both chose to ignore them and merely chuckled at his expression.

"What happened?" Oh, Naruto was enjoying this. He didn't mean to gloat, but hey, this was too good to resist. Sakura and Ino giggled as they both slapped Naruto lightly on the arms, "Naruto! Don't be so mean!"

Inari sighed, "You…you beat Gato……"

Naruto shook his head, "No, I didn't do it by myself. You see everyone here?" He ruffled Inari's hair and gestured to all the shinobis seated, "All of them played their parts. Inari, heroes do exist. They fight with their all to protect, and nothing else. So what do you say? Will you become a hero when I see you the next time?"

He grinned at the sobbing boy, as the child flung himself around his legs, "HAI! I DEFINITELY WILL!"

Naruto gave the boy a hug, "Remember Inari, the life gets tough, but don't ever give up. There will always be hope."

The boy nodded and everyone laughed or cheered as the atmosphere became peaceful one Wave has longed for once again.

"Now how about we have some dinner people?! I don't know about you guys, but I haven't eaten for days!"

And once again, amidst the laughter, the day passes by.

* * *

**_A week later…… _**

"Do you guys really have to go?" Inari asked as the group of Konoha shinobis gathered at the gate.

The bridge was done pretty quickly as the whole village came to help since everyone wanted to express their gratitude for Tazuna's courage and of course, the Shinobis for getting rid of the tyrant.

And now, here they were, all set and ready to go. Naruto chuckled, "Oh, don't pout Inari, makes you girly."

Inari merely glared, "You're one to talk!"

"Hey! I'll have you know that the great Uzumaki Naruto doesn't pout……unless he has to."

And as the two were immersed in their own interesting arguments, Anko and Kakashi along with the others politely bid the villagers farewell. Zabuza and Haku went ahead first, seeing how they might not be welcome. Sakura and Ino played with the kids they saw that day on the streets for awhile and even promised to visit whenever they had time. Team seven stood their, quite embarrassed at all the compliments sent their way, when clearly, the success of this mission was mainly due to Team six, who chose to sit comfortably in the background, letting team seven get all the credit.

Kakashi took a look at the time, before announcing, "Alright! Time to go everyone, say your goodbyes and we'll be off."

Sakura and Ino gathered their belongings and made their way to the gate. Anko hugged Tsunami, seeing how the two really bonded over this period, be it with their views on life or cooking, both had a lot of places in common.

Naruto sighed in exasperation as Inari pouted once again. He ruffled his hair, "Come now, be a good boy and give me a hug!" He teased.

Inari fought back his tears and hugged his 'big' brother. Every kid in Wave knew, Naruto was his idol. Hell, Naruto was practically everyone's idol. He wrapped his arms tightly around Naruto's legs, sniffling all the while.

Naruto tapped his forehead lightly, "I'll see you around, future hero. Ja ne." His grin never left his face as he stepped towards his group.

And with a silent gesture, they began trooping back to Konohagakure. Finally, the time to go home has arrived. Team seven took the front, whereas team six brought up the rear.

Inari suddenly cried out cheerfully, "GUESS WHAT WE NAMED THE BRIDGE?!"

Naruto merely shook his head, "Nah, too hard. Can't be bothered to guess." He didn't stop walking. His voice was clear, ringing through the mist.

Inari laughed and together, along with all the other kids, "We named it the ' GREAT NARUTO BRIDGE'! DO YOU LIKE IT?!"

Soon, the figures blended into the mist, but not before clear chuckles were heard from our favorite blond, "Ah……I love it."

* * *

**_This chapter definitely wasn't up to standard. I seriously suck at writing aftermaths. Or maybe I'm just a bit tired or lazy. Meh. I apologize in advance. Now, once again, Haku will not be paired with Naruto. _**

**_This is a filler, and we all know it has to be done. And after this, probably one chap of training, before we get the Chuunin Shiken started, eh guys?! _**

**_As usual review. I really need them this time. Tell me anything I need to work on. Don't just plainly say, 'THIS CHAP SUX! YOU DAMN BASTARD!' or something like that. Flames are fine, but hey, give me a flame that actually helps. Duh. No point flaming if you don't point out WHY it's crap. _**

**_That's that I guess. Hope you guys at least had a little bit of fun. XD _**


	17. Restart

**_A/N: Phew, finally back. Sorry guys, I just finished a part of my chem exam today, and I had been studying so hard this week, coz, I mean come on, I'm particularly shaky with this subject. But at least it's paid off. XD _**

**_I didn't want to type it out coz I just I know I'll get sidetracked. No point, but anyways, let's see if this chap works out. And oh, "I Live On" will be updated in a few days I reckon. I mean, next exam is Maths, che, guaranteed A anyway, who needs to revise? LOL. _**

**_I know the updates are coming slower, I'll apologize if you want, but I don't think I have to. I reckon I update fast enough. And I'm very pleased that all of you guys appreciate my efforts. Really, thanks. _**

**_So, let's get it started. Enjoy, as always. It's what I would want you guys to do. _**

**_Disclaimer: Ah hell, can't be bothered. You know the drill.

* * *

_**

I Will Believe 

Chapter 17: Restart 

"Hold…hold……ho…AH CRAP!" And indeed, the nice round balloon went 'pop' and a swirl of chakra exploded from it. For the hundredth time that day, Naruto found himself snarling at a plain piece of rubber that used to be a balloon.

Yes, Uzumaki Naruto finished the second part of the Rasengan training, and is now trying out the third stage, which is completely mind-boggling, well not really. All you had to do was maintain the swirl and power that you achieved in the first two stages. Easy eh? Hell no.

Beside him, a chuckling Kireki mock-scowled, "Naruto, language!"

Naruto had to fight the urge to swear continuously at her face. Honestly, Kireki was _always_ chuckling. In fact, she so happened to be by his side, every single time he failed. Kinda makes one wonder why.

Beside her was one Uchiha Minagi, looking unimpressed at the brat's progress. She had heard from multiple others that Naruto has the skill to become the best genin in his year. But from the looks of it, Naruto seemed more like the all brawn no brain type. And if there is one thing Minagi absolutely despised was dumb people.

No, no, she wasn't a bad woman. She just gets immensely frustrated when people fail to understand her simple and direct words. All Jiraiya had said to Naruto was 'maintain it'. Two words, and that had kept the blond working all afternoon. Sure, it was Rasengan, hardout ninjutsu created by the Yondaime, but _come on_, what kind of a person wastes his life away _continuously_ trying something that he knows he can't do?

Apparently Naruto is one of them. And the brat refused to admit it! The nerve! Even Kireki would have to say that despite Minagi's attitude, what she said was normally right. Naruto refused to listen and continued to waste his chakra but doing the same thing over and over, _trying_ to keep his chakra under control. Funny, his chakra control was supposed to be at least low chunnin level.

Sakura and Ino had left to train with Anko on their taijutsu, leaving Naruto alone with his two 'lovely' sisters to work out the jutsu. Minagi merely stared impassively as the blond continued to work himself to the death. It had all started when she met the team as they returned.

**_Flashback…… _**

_"TADAIMA! (I'm home) Whew! One A-rank and a C-rank mission complete! I'm RICH!" grinned Naruto as he rushed into his apartment……only to find a certain white-haired hermit twitching on the floor, with a huge bump on his head. _

_He raised an eyebrow at the duo a few metres away, only to find Kireki trying her best to restrain her friend. Said Uchiha was currently cursing with rather colourful words, though the reason was quite apparent, "I'M GONNA KILL THAT BLOODY PERVERT!" _

_See, Jiraiya never really had any brains when it came to the specific time and place for transforming into a pervert. Naruto sighed, before taking two rubber balls out of his bag. He smirked and held them right in front of Jiraiya's face, and muttered, "Sorry, but at least it will save you from the hell you might've been facing." _

_And as the horrified look on Jiraiya's face appeared, Naruto blew the balls up in his face, one, showing that he had mastered double rasengan for the second stage, and two, sent the pervert's head smashing into the bath tub, effectively 'cleansing' his mind of the dirty thoughts. _

_Minagi actually cheered when that happened. And Naruto knew why a second later. The Uchiha……formed the seals……and blasted a 'Raiton: Rairyudan' at Jiraiya……who was soaked to the bone……water conducts electricity. End of story. _

_A moment later, Naruto was introduced to Minagi, and was quite pleased to have her as his new ninjutsu instructor. Sure the pervert was a Sannin, but hey, half the time was practically wasted seeing how said ero-sennin would be peeping instead of teaching. _

_Jiraiya, after sulking like a baby for five minutes, performed the third and final stage required for Rasengan. It looked simple, it seemed simple, it definitely ISN'T simple. The logic was as easy as one plus one. You use one hundred percent of your power, you swirl it in as many different directions as you can, and you maintain it. _

_Naruto tried, and failed. Tried and failed again. And again. And again. Yeah, so basically, he kept failing. So he did the thing he did best, he tried it over and over. He left the apartment and went to his favorite training spot and began 'wasting his life' as Minagi had put it. One single sentence had sent Naruto charging at her with a Kaen Furea ready. "If you are a dumbass, you always will be, regardless of how you try to change." _

_Not one to be put down by a literal stranger, and an Uchiha at that, Naruto attacked. Of course, Minagi merely swatted his hand away and locked his arms and sent him sprawling to the ground while she sat on him. _

_She raised an eyebrow as Naruto used a creative move, he smashed his elbows backwards, trying to hit her, and whilst she slightly raised herself to block the move, he had sunk into the ground using a doton jutsu and tried to catch her with a Doton: Shinjuzanshu no jutsu. (Earth Element: Head Hunter technique)_ _Of course, she evaded it, and had blast Naruto away with a simple Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu. _

**_Flashback end…… _**

And so, Naruto has basically ignored her for the whole day. Not that she minded. He doesn't understand it. Well, usually no one does. They somehow all find it an insult. That was a fact. She found it amusing. She knew she should have mentioned the fact that she reacted the exact same way as Naruto when she was taught this lesson……nah, this brat's amusing as it is.

She chuckled at the memory, oh ho, she got owned. Totally, making her taste defeat for the first time in ages. That was some serious lesson. And she had sworn to carry on her favorite mentor's words, only to those who deserve the knowledge to know.

Naruto seriously wasn't happy. No way he was going to lose to that stuck up……calm down, language…THE HELL?! Okay, so he was going senile. Well, that usually happens when you use up too much chakra and let frustration get to you. Finally, he slumped onto the ground, too tired to move.

He closed his eyes, trying to think up of ways to succeed. Sadly, his fatigued state did nothing to help. Kireki glanced at Minagi, only to find her walking slowly towards Naruto. Said Uchiha peered into the blond's face and muttered, "Baaaaaaka."

Naruto groaned, he soooo did not need this right now. He chose to scowl this time, instead of flying right at the woman. Minagi placed two fingers on his forehead, and said, "Feel the flow. Feel it."

"Wha……?"

"Your chakra."

"I don't get it……"

"Yeah, that's why you're a baka."

"……it's not really helping."

Minagi smirked, "You like being a baka then?"

"Yeah, yeah, YA THINK?!" Naruto growled.

"Then stop acting like one." Minagi stated dryly.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Come again?"

Minagi shook her head, "The task, is to maintain. What to do first before you maintain? How should you try it? Do you need help? Are you fit enough to do it? What results are you expecting? Can you even answer those questions?"

"……er……I…need help, that's for sure. I am……not fit enough to do it right now, but hey! I can rest. Er…results, well, just to make sure the balloon doesn't explode……and the first two I have no idea."

Minagi rolled her eyes, "Did you ask for help?"

Naruto blinked, "……No……"

"Why are you not fit enough to do it now?"

"I overextended myself?"

"How come?"

"……I…didn't plan?"

Kireki had to hold in her cheer at that. Minagi really was good with children……in her own way. Their personalities were different. Kireki would basically sit down with them and help them through step by step, whether they want it or not, and be a very patient individual. Minagi would just leave them to their own devices till they find out their own mistakes, before correcting them and _then_, helping them.

Minagi continued, "So, define the term 'baka'."

Naruto blinked again, "Er……people…who lack……basic…judgment?"

"That's a rather nice way of putting it."

Naruto scowled again.

Minagi ignored him, "You lacked the proper judgment and didn't plan. Who paid the price?"

"……Sigh…I did. And yes, I know what you're getting at now."

Minagi gazed at him in approval, "So what are you going to do about it?"

Naruto took a deep breath, once again reaching deep into his mind, imagining a huge balloon, filling it up with his chakra. He then tried to shape it, before lightly 'tapping' at multiple parts of the huge sphere. He controlled it slowly, bit by bit, getting the hang of it, and then, there it was, a perfect sphere right in front of him, running just like the mini-hurricane he wanted it to be, and his eyes flashed open.

"I stop being a dumbass and get my mind working! RASENGAN!" And true to his words, he held out his right hand, sure enough, there it was, the gleaming aqua ball of chakra formed in an instant, maintained to perfection, and to test it out, he slammed it onto the ground.

The chakra feel was incredible, it was grinding its way forcefully through any obstacle placed in its way, and in seconds, Naruto stopped his attack and admired his 'handiwork'. A crater of radius two-metre graced the forest grounds with its presence.

He didn't realize it but he was pretty much spent from that attack. And it was then, that the clapping was heard. His head spun around to witness Kireki and Minagi dumbfounded, with a shocked Anko by their sides. Zabuza and Haku had their jaws on the ground, Sakura and Ino were cheering with wide smiles on their faces.

He raised an eyebrow, "Eh? When did you guys get here?"

Minagi snorted, "Just around an hour ago, I must say, good job in getting the jutsu, but I think we would all appreciate it if it didn't take you two hours of standing still, doing nothing and your chakra flaring like crazy, scaring the heck out of all of us."

"Right……again?"

Haku spoke up first, "Naruto-kun, when you were…meditating…you had this……huge red flare around you. It was……I don't know…comforting yet malicious at the same time. We all had quite a shock when you suddenly uttered something and proceeded to slam that ball of chakra into the ground."

_Fox…… _

**_……Alright, so I had a little fun…big deal…… _**

_Can you please…NOT be so……childish next time? _

**_I'll have you know that I AM the greatest demon lord of all times! _**

_Yeah, yeah, the foxie that loves to flaunt his power for the sake of having fun… _

**_Hey, it worked didn't it? You don't think that it was all you that did the jutsu now did you? _**

_……Oh right, so yeah, the jutsu was done ninety-nine point nine percent by me. Thanks for that zero point one percent. I soooo appreciate it. _

**_Fine then, be unappreciative of what I've done for you. Be that way. _**

_…………Are you SURE you're not female? _

**_………………… _**

Naruto focused back into reality, "Don't worry, nothing's wrong. My tenant just loved to show off. Alright, since we're all here, girls. Bring it on……WHOA! OI!"

Sakura hadn't allowed him to finish the sentence and had already charged at him, "Ah, ah, Naruto-kun, you've had your time to show off, now, let us take the spotlight! Rankyaku: Byakurai! _(Storm Legs: White Lightning)_"

Naruto barely dodged it and gulped when Ino purred into his ears, "Oh, Naru-kun, giving up so soon?" He ducked his head just in the nick of time before Ino's slender arm gave him a huge swipe.

He backflipped for a few times, and was just about to take initiative when all of a sudden, he found that just being on the defensive was very taxing on his reserves. Ino and Sakura worked flawlessly as they exploited each and every one of Naruto's weaknesses. Granted, Naruto was mentally and physically exhausted to a certain extent after learning Rasengan and mastering it, but really, the girls had improved immensely over the few days.

Naruto took a deep breath, once again, parrying their attacks before he roared, "Alright, my turn! Kiri: Hirameki Hyaku-gojuu shou! _(Mist: One Hundred and Fifty Flash Palms)_" That was the cue. Sakura and Ino immediately braced themselves and tried to focus on the yellowish blur that was currently launching punches and strikes relentlessly at them.

His speed was incredible. Shunpo being the main reason. The ability to merely transfer a small amount of chakra onto the tip of your feet and bouncing off the ground in unbelievably small intervals, effectively creating afterimages in your wake. Enough said.

Left, right, front, back, everywhere. Naruto slowly rounded them up, weaving an imaginary circle around the two, slowly constricting it, bit by bit. Sakura and Ino realized his intent and tried to break out of it or distract him but to no avail. They too had trained till they drop the whole day and though they were slightly better off than Naruto and had a two-on-one advantage, Naruto's godly stamina was just too much.

Just when both were about to fall, the attacks stopped as quickly as it started, and ended up with Naruto holding them up, one in each arm, that damn grin on his face and whispering softly into their ears, "Ah, spent are we? I didn't know I was that good."

Both instantly blushed at his words, before Sakura mock-scowled and bashed him lightly on the head, "Well aren't we cheeky?" Naruto stuck out his tongue and laughed as Ino tried to elbow his stomach.

From the distance, Haku and Zabuza watched on in interest, "Now I see why they were able to do it. Their teamwork is flawless. I'm impressed."

Minagi looked at Anko, "Indeed, who would have though that you would be able to teach them with such efficiency?"

Anko grabbed her chest (breasts more like), whimpering evilly, "Ouch, now that's harsh. I'm hurt Mina-chan! How could you say that to me? Did those nights mean nothing? Nothing at all? Urgh……" Her smirk grew ever so wide when Zabuza fainted from blood loss. Haku was left twitching in annoyance and amusement.

Minagi rolled her eyes, "You just had to do it huh?"

"Of course!" It was pretty hard to ignore the devious glee in her tone.

So the Uchiha did the only sensible thing, she turned to Kireki, "So am I a good enough teacher?"

Kireki smiled, "Minagi, we all know it. You are a _brilliant_ teacher."

"Brat doesn't seem to think so."

"Awww…is Mina-chan hurt that Naru-chan will only acknowledge me as his one and only beloved sensei?" Guess who.

Minagi scoffed, "You do know that I can just Tsukuyomi you right?"

"Wah…so cold!"

"Kireki……"

Haku could only chuckle as the three women exchanged very interesting comments about one another.

"HA! You're just jealous I'm a C-cup and you're a B! Nyah!" Again, guess who.

"Kireki, if you don't shut her up in the next two seconds, she will DIE."

"Iya! Kire-chan! Save me! Oh wow…didn't know you were so endowed in the chest region……"

"ANKO!" squeaked a very red Hyuga.

"That's it, she's going down."

"Feh! I'm still sexier! AHHHH!"

It was there that the blond made his opinions heard, "Is it just me, or are they seriously acting like children?"

Haku gave a gasp of surprise as Naruto just appeared from behind her, "Man, I swear I'm the only mature one in my team now. Haha…ow…ow…ok, ok, I take that back. You girls win."

Naruto had teased them good naturedly earlier on, clearly enjoying the fact that both girls were blushing by just a simple kiss to the cheek. It was payback for the times in Wave where they would gang up on him and try to embarrass him to help him…what is it? Oh yeah, 'loosen up'.

Zabuza had been accepted by the Hokage and was enlisted into the Shinobi forces of Konoha as a Tokubetsu Jonin. Haku was accepted in an instant, giving her the rank of an elite Chunnin, meaning she would be the leader on most missions with other chuunins. She had taught Naruto the basics of conjuring ice and Naruto had tried it. It was very interesting, and the ideas of jutsus and variations of current techniques he already knew with the art of ice within them were intriguing.

However, it was Kakashi's reaction to Minagi that left him wondering. For some reason, Kakashi would always look away when ever Minagi's hateful gaze glared at him. The great Copy Ninja……ashamed? Weird.

Naruto wondered what Sasuke would say when he knew about his 'last' relative, although Minagi made it quite clear that she hated basically everyone from the Uchiha Clan, including one big fat son-of-a……really, he doesn't even qualify as a canine anymore, worse than that, but anyway, yeah, Uchiha Itachi is on her number one hate list.

Naruto sighed, before smiling gently, "Come on, Ino-chan, Sakura-chan, I'll escort you home. It's pretty late. Tomorrow, I reckon we could start missions again. But I think Anko has a surprise for us."

Sakura thought for a moment, "Now that you mentioned it, it _was_ pretty freaky when she had that crazy smirk on her face again."

Ino rolled her eyes, "She's _always_ creepy when she goes maniacal, but she's our sensei and we love her for it. Now come on! I'm hungry!"

And with that, the day of training finally came to a close. Of course, the three 'mature' women were still engaged in extremely childish behaviour. Not that they cared. It was fun.

* * *

**_Next morning…… _**

It was quiet. Perfect. A certain blond was now slowly inching his way towards the door, so close…sooooo close……

"And where do you think you're going huh?" Kireki's eyebrow twitched as she tapped her left foot on the ground.

Naruto gulped, "Er……ramen?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT! Now get over here, take off your clothes and let's begin." Kireki grumbled.

A certain Uchiha appeared, "You do know that sounds so very wrong right? Or perhaps……" The famed Uchiha smirk was back, but this time, it had a slight tone of mischief within it, "You _do_ swing that way? My, my, Kire-chan……"

The Hyuga gave a whole new meaning to the word 'blushing', "UCHIHA MINAGI!"

"So I am right huh?" Oh how she loved to torture her……

Naruto sighed, "Right, right, just do it. Sigh……"

In case you were wondering, this procedure allows Naruto to make up for his lack of growth through the years of having to live on basically Ramen only, seeing that was the only thing he could afford. Kireki would hit every single one of his tenketsus, closing them before firing small amounts of chakra into the ones that are closest to the limbs. She lets the muscles adjust to it before tapping all of them open and once again firing chakra into his body.

This way, the body's growth mechanism will recognize the change and react to it, allowing Naruto to grow to the height that is normal for a twelve year old. Of course, this had to be done continuously, it had been once a day at first, but now, seeing that Naruto was eating and growing properly (About time too), Kireki only did it once a fortnight now.

The only thing Naruto disliked is the fact that the process was _always_ done in the morning, and it always takes a lot out of him. I mean, come on, you don't just get your tenketsus closed without feeling anything.

And so, after an hour of gruesome torture, or so Naruto called it, he finally ate his breakfast and set out to meet his team. Anko knew why and so did the girls. It was when he suddenly felt a huge amount of killing intent that Naruto quickly picked up his pace.

* * *

**_Elsewhere…… _**

"Oi! That hurt you pipsqueak!" muttered a scowling teenage male as he rubbed the spot on his stomach irritably. He was quite tall, with a huge mummified……thing on his back and the fact that he wore a full-body suit with cat-ears…well……not sure what effect it was supposed to give. The headband he had on had a big letter 'i' in the middle, signifying that he was from Sunagakure.

Behind him, a blond female rolled her eyes as she watched her brother intimidate a shivering child. Honestly, he just loved the attention. Her hair was tied into four small pigtails, her teal eyes surveying the scene with interest. What caught her attention was the fact that two girls, were currently engaged in a heated argument with her brother.

"Man, what a drag." He lifted the small boy by his scarf effortlessly and growled, "I hate brats like you."

The pink-haired girl scowled, "Look, one last time. Put him down…or else."

Said cat man merely snorted, "What? Pinch me? Don't me laugh, you leaf nins are all weak. Don't even get me started on the females."

The blond one narrowed her eyes before dashing forward and in a very swift motion, one that showed loads of practice and experience, she used her momentum and kneed him right in the crotch whilst Sakura saved the small boy from crashing to the ground.

The Suna blond blinked, trying desperately to hold her laughter, and failed miserably, "HAHAHA! Kankuro, hahaha, you got…hahaha……"

Kankuro's face changed colours quickly, from blue to black to grey. Yep, that was a direct hit. The pink haired girl chuckled, "Nice one Ino!"

Said blond merely scoffed, "Mo, Sakura! He was so rude! You shouldn't be so nice to assholes like him."

"Ino! Konohamaru is right here! Language!"

"Ah, gomen."

The boy looked up to them apologetically, "Ano, gomen nasai. I shouldn't have run that quickly."

Sakura smiled and ruffled his hair, "Don't worry, you're just excited that Naruto would play Ninja with you later. Moegi! Udon!" She giggled as two more kids ran to them, gasping for breath. The small girl with fiery red hair, answered, "Udon tripped halfway, so I had to help him."

Ino gave a shrug, "It's okay. Now, what say you we go grab that lazy guy and have some fun?"

Grins greeted her answer. Of course, a certain Suna nin isn't going to take it now, is he? No, no, no. He immediately grabbed his mummy _(As in, the thing on his back, not his dead mother, or the Egyptian creature)_ and lodged it firmly on the ground, "YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT YOU BITCH!"

Of course, the fact that he was still holding his crotch with his left hand didn't make the threat to intimidating. Rather humorous actually. Ino's eyes narrowed, "Say that again? Huh? I dare you to say that again. Try me. One more time, and I neuter you and force them down your throat." The way she was fingering her kunai did help.

And so here we have it. The difference between a threat from a man who just got kneed in the most sacred organ of all males, and a threat from a female that is royally pissed at you for insulting her. No challenge. At all.

Kankuro visibly paled and gulped before trying to regain his dignity by putting on a brave front. His sister was close to dying from laughter, and so he did the next stupid thing, insult another female.

"Temari! If you're not gonna help, stop your stupid laughing and stay back!" Of course, he regretted his rash decision when Temari swung her huge metal fan right down on his head, effectively killing off half of his brain cells……which isn't that much at all.

"I AM the oldest here you know. Kami, is there even a respectable man here that knows how to treat a lady?"

Just then, an eerie voice spoke out, "Temari……"

A cocoon of sand gathered on a tree nearby, before taking the shape of a red-haired teenager with the kanji for 'love' on the left side of his forehead. He had a huge gourd on his back, and his cold exterior says it all. Another freak has appeared.

Temari visibly stiffened, "G-Gaara……I swear it wasn't me. This guy deserved it."

The red-head stared at her for awhile, before releasing some killing intent, "I told you both not to create trouble here. If it happens again……I will kill you." The way the word 'kill' just rolled off his tongue was definitely abnormal.

Sakura had to prevent herself from rolling her eyes, _Oh great, another cold-blooded monster. Yay. NOT._

The boy turned slowly, "I apologize for their behaviour, please excuse us."

His eyes, though, were firmly fixed on the girls, not so much glaring, but more like scrutinizing them. All of a sudden, the killing intent slowly begins to rise.

"You in that tree. Come on out."

Ino cursed as Uchiha Sasuke launched a kunai at the Suna nin. Honestly, could the guy have any less tact?

Sasuke ignored their expressions and charged, "Konoha strictly prohibits entrance to unauthorized foreign nins. Why are the three of you even here?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed, "I am afraid that you don't deserve to know. Now die." In a flash, Sasuke was blasted back by a wave of sand and the only reason he didn't get flung off was the fact that Sakura had launched a shockwave to cut off the assault.

"Look, let's just play nice. You give us your reason, we'll get going." Ino gritted her teeth, she hated dealing with such insensitive and hard-headed boys. Honestly, why can't they all grow up and not go goo-goo-gaa-gaa at the opportunity to show off? Stupid Uchiha, ruined the plan.

Kankuro sneered, "Yeah right, bitch, get them Gaara."

Gaara ignored him and was about to continue the assault when a whimper from behind him was heard and a deathly whisper rang through the area, "I thought my teammate had politely suggested to you that you shut your dirty trap and treat the ladies with _respect_, what are you? A moron?"

"Aww…Naru-kun, you do care!"

Naruto had to try very hard to stop his eyebrow from twitching. Ino has definitely been around Anko too long, but then again, they all did. He currently had a kunai aimed at Kankuro's precious and one beside Gaara's neck.

Temari and Kankuro's eyes widened at that. No one, but _no one_ actually had a weapon _that_ close to Gaara before. Gaara turned his head slightly and stared into those cerulean orbs. This guy…his gaze was ferocious, unrelenting and powerful. He showed no signs of being affected by Gaara's larger than normal killing intent.

In fact, Kankuro nearly pissed from Naruto's killing intent. Only difference is, Gaara's killing intent was spread out. Naruto's focused only on the two of them. Temari gaped as Naruto stared Gaara down.

Gaara quickly held in his bloodlust and retracted his sand, "I apologize once again."

Naruto moved his kunai away as well and eyed him critically, "Emo-pants did start it. So you're not completely at fault. State you reasons and let's all be gone."

Gaara had to concentrate for a moment to try and get Shukaku's crazed voice out of his head, "We're here for the Chuunin exams, and we have the relevant passports."

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, "Eh? That time already? So that's what Anko was so excited about."

Gaara remained silent, but eyeing Naruto with an acute interest, "Your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto. You?"

"Sabaku no Gaara."

**_Kit……he's the one with Ichibi in him. _**

_Ah…I think he sensed you in me as well. No wonder he backed off. _

**_Indeed, I was half expecting a crazed Shukaku case, but looks like it's under control. _**

_Wait……crazed? _

**_You'll have to see for yourself…… _**

Naruto raised an eyebrow, before turning back to Gaara, "Well then, it's been a pleasure."

He turned to Kankuro, "And I remind you, that if I ever catch you being such an impolite git to the ladies, I will personally carry out Ino-chan's threat. I will even add a twist to it."

His gaze was menacing, intentionally so, and Kankuro gulped once again.

Naruto nodded in Temari's direction, before moving towards his own team, "Yo, hope you didn't wait too long. Come on, let's go play. Emo-pants can get himself sorted." His smirk was back again, though this time, it had a slight tenseness to it.

Sakura and Ino looked at him questioningly, but he waved them off, promising to explain later. Konohamaru and his gang quickly took their 'boss' up on his offer and dragged them off.

Gaara eyed the trio carefully, before turning to his brother and sister, "If you meet them in the exam……do not engage directly if I'm not present. They should be a good challenge, we shall see if they live up to my expectations. Mother has been quite uneasy lately……maybe more blood would satisfy her."

Both Temari and Kankuro nodded subconsciously as they noticed that familiar maniacal smile on their brother's face. One thing's for certain. Whoever met them in the exams would be dead. Hello world, meet homicidal Gaara, now spurred on by a bloody annoying blond brat that was nearly as dangerous as said redhead.

What a beautiful day……

* * *

**_HAHAHA, lol, what a random way to end this. You guys do realize I just let Sasuke be ignored at the end eh? HAHAHA. Oh well, no one cares. _**

**_Right, this is a bridge chapter, as I like to call it. Not really a filler, but definitely required. Boring maybe, yeah, but hey, it's long. XD _**

**_Hope this makes up for the long update! Enjoy it, and give me some comments. Gaara is more mature here. Just picture older Gaara but then, with the younger crazy stuff. Yeah, cool eh? Lol. Hope you enjoyed the teeny bit of fluff and the humour. Action will come soon. _**

**_Sakura and Ino's reactions will be next chap. _**

**_Well then, that's all I guess. C'ya guys! XD _**


	18. Notices

_**A/N: Ok, last two chapters were a bit unsatisfactory for you guys, and I accept that. So let's see if I can get this right. Chuunin exams begin, action, angst, drama, fluff, whatever. I'll try my best. Thank you all for the reviews, and all you readers that have at least spent some time reading this fic. **_

_**Guys, I've been getting queries, as to what in the world is my favorite pairing, seeing how I keep writing oneshots with different pairings. Lol, ok, I'll break it down for ya. **_

_**My absolute fav is NaruSaku. No question. Followed by NaruIno. The rest I don't really mind. Ever wonder why my longer fics always have Sakura in them? HAHA. Many seem to find this pairing insulting, seeing that Sakura was such a bitch to Naruto at first. My argument is that when young and immature, one's awful dumb. Takes time to mature. **_

_**For once, Naruto Shippuden shows signs of NaruSaku, finally. But really, that's not enough, so I try and add more fun to the pairing by coming up with my version of Naruto and Sakura, and I will Believe was born. Ino was then added to spice things up. I may be a bit crude and plain in my descriptions of their kisses and love, but I try my best. And I hope you guys can enjoy it. XD**_

_**Oh and you guys do realized that I made it so that Sakura and Ino have no idea of Kyuubi yet? Kukukuku……**_

_**Disclaimer: Do you have any idea how rich I would be if I owned Naruto? So does the fact that I'm currently eating a two dollar hotdog for my lunch ring a bell?

* * *

**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 18: Notices

"Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Yamanaka Ino, the above mentioned trio, under my name Mitarashi Anko, I hereby nominate them for the Chuunin exams."

"Uchiha Sasuke, Inuzuka Kiba, Akimichi Choji, the above mentioned three, under my name Hatake Kakashi, I nominate them for the Chuunin exams."

"Aburame Shino, Hyuga Hinata, Nara Shikamaru, the above mentioned three, under my name Yuhi Kurenai, I nominate them for this Chuunin exam."

Instantly, as expected, whispers and murmurs broke out through the other jounins and chuunins. For the first time in so many years, all the rookies were nominated for the Chuunin exams.

Sure, the Uchiha was understandable, but even the Kyuubi brat? That's pushing it a little isn't it?

Sarutobi cleared his throat, effectively silencing the crowd, "Are you sure? It is recommended that a team complete a minimum of eight missions, preferably including at least one C-rank mission before they compete. Kakashi, Kurenai, are you certain?"

One jounin decided to be smart, "Hokage-sama, not to be rude or anything, but what about Mitarashi's team? Surely, with the Kyu……brat in their team……well, yeah, you get what I'm saying……"

Anko turned around and gave a cold hard glare at sad jounin that no doubt scared the hell out of several others near her receiving end, "If you even dare insinuate that Naruto is inferior to the others once again, I myself would be making sure you had a very, _very_ bad day. Did you even bother to check our mission status to say that?"

Iruka chuckled at the flabbergasted looks as he recited Team 6's mission report, "Uzumaki Naruto, captain of the special Genin Ansatsu Butai. Number of missions completed: 26 D-ranks, 21 C-ranks, 14 B-ranks, and even 2 A-rank missions. Surely that's enough?"

Even Kurenai looked dumbfounded. Anko felt her pride literally glow within her. Damn, her team rocked and she knew it. Main point is, she knew it wasn't all her doing. Naruto, Sakura and Ino placed in the efforts, she did the tutoring, and they all reaped the results.

Kakashi sighed, he hated to admit it, but really, not only was Anko a much better teacher than him, she also had a much better team. Don't get him wrong, Kiba, Sasuke and Choji were a joy to teach, but they just lacked the teamwork that Team 6 showed. Sasuke was too arrogant and whenever Choji and Kiba tried to work with him, he would dismiss them. It was downright frustrating.

Kurenai glanced at her friend, only to find her smirking with pride, even giving a peace sign. Sadly, her team was a long ways before being able to measure up to Anko's team. She was happy for Anko, for she witnessed first hand, that the once miserable snake mistress was able to fully let down her mask and be herself with her students. Not to mention she had a very caring otouto now.

Sarutobi gave a firm nod, with a gentle smile on his face, "Extremely impressive Anko. I knew I made the right choice. I would like to meet them later today. Could you……"

"Hai, Hokage-sama. Once I hand them their forms, we'll be on our way."

Just then, Sarutobi Asuma arrived in a poof of smoke, "You called, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi nodded, "Indeed, Asuma, could you be kind enough to initiate a little test for me? I believe this could prove to be interesting."

Asuma blinked, "Eh? Oh, you mean the Chuunin hopefuls. So the usual kidnapping test?"

Anko snorted at that, "You're gonna have to do much better than that. Naruto won't hesitate if you are an enemy. Trust me on this."

Asuma scratched his head thoughtfully, "Well, I'll think of something. Alright, I best be off. Good luck to your teams I reckon. They might need it."

Sarutobi sighed at the playful nature hidden in his son, before turning back to the jounins, "Now that we have that out of the way, let's move on to the actual exams……"

* * *

_**With Naruto and co……**_

"Sakura, Ino, are you guys okay? That bastard didn't……"

Ino sighed at Naruto's over-protectiveness, sure it felt good for a while, but honestly, the guy can't be there to save them all the time right?

Apparently, Sakura had the exact same thoughts, "Come on, Naruto, we're not that helpless. You worry too much." She even mock-scowled and hit Naruto lightly on the head, "What is this? Our captain getting all macho on us?" She teased.

Naruto sighed, "Yeah…but this time……never mind. Sorry if I seemed……sigh……" His head shot up with the usual grin, "Ne, minna, let's get started. I reckon Anko might be here soon, so let's play while we can."

The three academy children cheered and immediately began planning the game. Naruto's face however, continued to be slightly worried. That Sabaku no Gaara……he's strong. But if it really came down to a fight……hard to say. Depends on willpower probably. It takes one to know one, that statement couldn't have been truer.

The pain of being a Jinchuuriki……for now, Naruto can barely handle three tails……and that's really pushing it. That guy however, hosts the Ichibi and when compared, control should be easier for that guy.

Naruto gritted his teeth, as he remembered all too well, that feeling of loneliness and anger, hatred at the whole damn world that was against you, despair at the idea of being alone all your life. Reality is harsh, but it never lies. Life goes on, you could cry all you want, nothing changes. And Naruto suspect that Sabaku no Gaara knew that as well.

Only difference is……he kills to satisfy his rages. Judging from the way he treated his siblings, he doesn't come across like a happy-go-lucky guy at all. Somewhat like that emo-pants……only way stronger……and more annoying.

Naruto sighed as he rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the throbbing headache, _Damn it……why do I just get this blasted feeling that everything's gonna go wrong?_

Just then, a pair of slender hands gently massaged his temples, before a soothing voice whispered, "Naruto……"

It felt……well, damn, how do you describe it? Leave it to Sakura to notice his inner turmoil. The slightest of touches was enough to calm him down. He sighed as he heard her giggle, "Just relax……once in awhile, let others worry for you……"

He sighed in bliss as she continued the massage, her hands worked magic over his face. _Maybe……hell, this IS the reason why we're different. I may not have an actual blood-related family……but all these……Sakura-chan, Ino-chan, Oji-san, Kireki-ne-chan, Anko-chan……hell even that Ero-sennin and Minagi-ne-chan could count. My precious people……_

Ino watched from afar, letting the couple have this quiet moment as she distracted the small trio. It was good to see that the naivety in Naruto hasn't disappeared even after facing the harshness in life. Granted, both of them, namely Sakura and herself, have matured greatly and now, more than ever, treasure the friendship amongst them.

She didn't feel jealous at all. The special moments they had like this felt so natural. Ino would be in charge of the teasing and the laughter. Sakura would be there whenever things got difficult, using her gentle ways to boost morale. The personalities…… Naruto……she didn't know how to classify him.

One moment he could be a huge ball of sunshine, the next, he could be calm and collected, thinking like a real strategist. It was unnerving……in a strangely _good_ way. There was no doubt in her mind that Naruto was the core of their team. He's the one that brings them all together. Sakura and her were so similar…yet so different, however, Naruto was able to find their subtle similarities in the end, and started their wonderful friendship.

She could still vividly remember the day where they were all just kids, having so much fun everyday. She smiled unconsciously as the grin returned to Naruto's face. She was feeling particularly rebellious today, so she crept towards the duo, and to his surprise, kissed him gently on the corner of his mouth.

Sakura chuckled as she noticed Ino quietly tiptoed over to them. The look on Naruto was amusing, but then, they weren't prepared for him as he laughed joyfully and hugged both girls to him, before slowly spinning them around.

Both girls squealed as the familiar sensation returned to them. It was one of their favorite games, where Naruto would hold one girl in each arm and act as a merry go round for them. Now that Naruto's worked out and all his muscles in place, doing this with extra vigor was too easy.

He enjoyed the laughter that rang through the grounds as the three children, along with Sakura and Ino cheered him on. _Relax huh……I would love to do this all day long……_

He smirked as he slowly picked up the pace, emitting chakra from his foot to maintain his balance and allowed his wind-natured chakra to power his spin. He was challenging the two of them.

Sakura huffed haughtily as she easily hung on using her superb chakra control, even going to the point where she balances herself on Naruto's arm with mere three fingers. Ino, not having the same control, made it up with tact. She used five fingers, but only the tips of each, before balancing vertically as Naruto went on.

Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon looked on in delight as their 'heroes' continued their special performance. A blur of orange, pink and purple mixed together, and they couldn't help but realize that……indeed, it was a perfect combination.

However, at that moment, a huge man with the Hitai-ate of the Amegakure landed behind the three and grabbed Moegi. He placed a rough hand over her mouth, muffling her cries for help, and ignoring the angered roars from Konohamaru and Udon, quickly dashed off into the distance.

To his utmost surprise, before he could even make it to the second tree, a pink blur intercepted him as she was flung right at him straight on. She slowly uncurled herself and readied her kick, "Rankyaku: Tora Tsume! _(Storm Legs: Tiger Claw)_"

The Ame-nin quickly ducked and barely evaded the attack. His eyes widened as he witnessed the sad fate of the tree that just got sliced in half. However, his trouble wasn't over as Naruto flung Ino at him as well, only said blonde had different ideas.

Ino formed a 'camera rectangle' with her hands and aimed, "Ninpo: Shinranshin no jutsu!" And as the Ame-nin struggled against that jutsu, Naruto leapt into action.

Charging up his right arm, the familiar golden flames appeared, "Kinka: Kaen Rin! _(Golden Flames: Blaze Wheel)_" If the attack was strong before, it was even stronger now. He had fully understood the concepts of spiraling and maintaining and had implemented it into his Kaen series.

The Ame-nin gulped at the attack and did the only logical thing. He dropped Moegi and used a quick surge of chakra to try and fling off the jutsu, before moving to dodge the oncoming attack. Only one problem……Ino doesn't let go that easily.

Imagine the surprise on the Ame-nin's face when Ino increased the chakra output whilst somersaulting in mid-air, forcing him in place, and Naruto's speed was made apparent as he was in front of the Ame-nin in a second.

"GOTCHA!" roared Naruto as he smashed his fist right into the trunk just a few centimeters from his head. Needless to say, a huge explosion occurred, leaving the Ame-nin anything but unscathed. Naruto glared at the Ame-nin, "Now, either you explain why you tried to kidnap dear Moegi in your disguise, or I personally rip your head off like I did to the tree."

Sakura emphasized the fact by placing two kunais at his neck as soon as Ino released the jutsu, "Wanna die that badly?" She taunted, "I dare you to move."

The Ame-nin turned his head slightly and his eyeballs nearly flew out of the sockets. The trunk that was at least two metres wide now had a huge hole that might allow a full-grown man to crawl through it.

He sighed before releasing his henge no jutsu, revealing a very amused Asuma.

* * *

_**Back with the meeting……**_

Jaws were smashed onto the ground all around the room as the jounins turn their disbelieving gazes at Mitarashi Anko. Of course, said Tokubetsu Jounin was currently basking in the spotlight. She couldn't be more proud of her team. I mean come on, a team of _Genin_ subduing a _jounin_ in what, two minutes?

And she was pretty sure that technique of Naruto's raised more than just a few eyebrows. Kakashi was beaming at that jutsu. It almost rivaled his full-power Raikiri. There were definitely hints of nature and form manipulation in his attack. And even better, no hints of Kyuubi's chakra at all! It was the boy's own chakra!

Sarutobi chuckled as he watched the projected image on the screen from his crystal ball. It amused him to no end that his son was subdued that quickly. Looks like Anko definitely wasn't bragging. Granted, Asuma used around a quarter of his strength. But hey, to be caught under two minutes………

Kurenai was openly gaping at the skills Team 6 showed. Not only was their captain extremely efficient, but then two kunoichis were very skilled as well. In fact, team six was the last to be tested. They had seen team 7 and 8 react like they expected……but whoa, when they got to team 6, it was apparent that Asuma had underestimated them.

The jounin who had doubted Naruto's skill immediately turned back to Anko with his head bowed, "Mitarashi-san, I apologize for my earlier suspicions. Your team has proved skill beyond our imagination at their level."

Anko gave a polite nod and gazed amusingly at the others as they continued to watch. It was lucky that Gai wasn't here, or else he would be yelling about the powers of youth again. _Shudder……extremely unpleasant……_

They watch as Asuma apologized for his actions and told them that it was all a test. The fact that Naruto seemed angry that Moegi was scared like this warmed her heart. That was the difference between her beloved brother and that Uchiha brat. Naruto doesn't flaunt his power; he merely uses them when he has to. He doesn't take pride in knowing he could probably crush enemies with his strength, instead he uses it to protect those precious to him.

The Hokage was apparently thinking along the same lines and gave a small chuckle.

One of the other Tokubetsu Jonins, Aoba, shook his head, "To think that even when they relax, they're always on alert……impressive."

Anko's grin threatened to split her face as she leapt beside the Hokage, before giving a huge peace sign, "HELL YEAH! THAT'S MY TEAM ALRIGHT!"

* * *

_**Back with Naruto and co……**_

"Man…that was stupid. Moegi, are you okay?"

The auburn coloured hair girl gave a quick nod, before cheering, "Arigato Naruto-ni-chan! And Sakura and Ino-ne-chan!"

"Sugei! _(Woah!)_ Ni-chan and Ne-chans are so strong!"

Sakura chuckled before pulling the three children into a hug, "Yes we are. But only when we work together. We protect those precious to us, and get strength from each other. Are the three of you good friends?"

A unanimous nod sealed the deal, with Ino replying, "Well then, treasure the friendship and train hard! You'll be strong like us in no time."

Naruto shook his head as he muttered a silent Mokuton jutsu to repair the trees they destroyed. He's beginning to learn the importance of nature, and if he can do it, might as well use the power of nature to keep the environment as it is. He now knew why so little could master the elements such as wood and ice. It's because the jutsu's themselves are the direct opposite of their uses.

To be able to harness the wood element, one must appreciate the life force of Nature, however, the point of jutsus is to basically injure or take away the life of the enemy, thereby destroying life force. If one is unable to find the balance, there is no doubt that he would not be able to accomplish the jutsu.

He stared at the slight burns on his right fist. The fire went a little out of control, but nothing a good training can't fix. He grinned as he gazed lovingly at his two teammates, watching on as they played joyfully with the Konohamaru Corps. It was very enjoyable, and very much deserved after such a tense morning.

Ah well, might as well relax some more. Just then, a poof of smoke was heard before a pair of arms grabbed his head in a 'loving' headlock, and a familiar voice called out, "Aww……I'm SOOOOO proud of you guys! I almost cried in joy!"

Naruto's face slowly turned blue at the lack of oxygen, thrashing wildly in his 'beloved' sensei's arms. Sakura and Ino giggled at the sight and finally rescued him from her 'evil claws'. He gasped for breath as he glared daggers at Anko.

Said jounin merely continued grinning, before holding out three pieces of paper. Each of them took one, "Huh? Chuunin Exam Form?"

Anko gave a nod, "Yep, we all saw your performance at the Hokage's office, and man, you guys owned the others, none of the other rookies even came close to what you guys achieved! So naturally, I came here to get you guys the good news! Come on, the Hokage wants to comment on your skills, Konohamaru! You guys can tag along as well!"

The Konohamaru Corps gave a silent cheer and quickly followed the three. Of course, the scene that Naruto was making when Anko was pulling him by the hair was amusing as well. "YOU CRAZY WOMAN! LET GO!"

Yep, having such brilliant senpais are extremely fun.

* * *

_**In the evening……**_

"Man……finally get to go home and relax." He yawned as he fumbled for the keys to his apartment. It wasn't that it was extremely tiring, just a bit boring. He did a couple more D-ranked missions for the heck of it. Might as well help others whilst training your stamina.

Just then, a gasp was heard as Naruto turned around, "Eh? Hinata-chan, what's up?"

The lavender-haired girl smiled, "Konbanha, Ni-san. Oka-san told me to meet her at your house. I thought you would be home by now. How was your day?"

Naruto gave a wave, "Meh, the usual. Training and stuff. Did you get nominated for the Chuunin exams as well?"

Hinata gave a cheerful nod, "Hai! We did quite well too. I like my team……though Shino could be a bit more talkative and Shikamaru……could be more……active……sigh."

Naruto loved this side of Hinata. Although to strangers, she was still shy and had that little stutter every now and then, to her friends, she would act like herself and be the curious girl that was hidden most of the time. She was very enjoyable to be with and Naruto was proud to be able to be her friend and brother.

He unlocked the door, "Come on in, no point standing out here when we could be sitting down. I must visit Hanabi sometime, she must be sad that I've forgotten about her……That's it, I'll buy her a gift tomorrow and give her a surprise visit! Yosh."

Hinata chuckled at her 'brother's' antics. Hanabi knew that Naruto was busy and had lately matured a lot. She had learnt from the experience when five years ago and therefore, began pushing herself to her limits, training very hard, not wanting to become a burden. She was such a joy to be with, so cute, so happy all the time. Of course, only a select few actually knew of her this way. Those old codgers basically thought of her as a calm, nice little lady.

Just as the door opened, a huge cry of "SURPRISE!" scared the heck out of them both. Naruto immediately flung a kunai with an explosion tag on it, thinking it was an invasion, only to have it snuffed out by an amused Minagi.

Turns out that it was a party to celebrate their nominations for Chuunin exams. Anko, Kurenai, Kakashi, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, Hitomi, Hanabi, Sakura, Ino, Jiraiya, Kireki and Minagi were all there. Apparently, it was the females of Team 6 that came up with this idea.

When you ask? Well, halfway through the meeting with the Hokage, Naruto fell asleep, giving ample time for the girls and an amused old man to plan. It was extremely amusing when they visited the Hyuga Manor and told them of the party. Hanabi was squealing and cheering at the thought of seeing her big brother again and Hitomi had chuckled at her expressions.

Unfortunately, Hiashi was busy and couldn't get away, but he told them to tell Naruto that he was very proud of him. For Hinata however, he would be seeing her tonight to teach her a few useful chakra techniques to help her Juken.

Then they went to find Team 7. Sasuke, being the hardout emo, naturally refused, saying that he had better things to do than partying. The others however, welcomed the idea and agreed to help out. Team 8 was next and luckily, Hinata wasn't there. It was meant to congratulate the two for their performance.

Hinata, for the sole reason of closing five of Asuma's tenketsus when facing him one-on-one, and Naruto for fully intimidating a _jonin_ that easily. Of course, Asuma had let Hinata get close, wanting to see for himself if the Hyuga Heiress is really that strong. He wasn't disappointed.

Naruto……yeah……was a definite surprise. Honestly, if he hadn't moved slightly, it could have been his head that was blown off. Well, that's what you get for underestimating the most unpredictable shinobi of all times.

Kireki and Minagi were extremely pleased to hear from Anko of her team's 'victory'. Jiraiya merely smirked and told her that it was expected. That night, they had loads of fun, and chatted about all sorts of things, ranging from love interests to mission details and other minor stuff.

Hanabi and Naruto were seen dozing off with the little girl snuggling in Naruto's arms. They looked so cute together and Hitomi took the chance and caught the perfect moment. It'll be fun to tease Hanabi when she grows up.

All in all, it was a very successful night, and all those who attended the party wore smiles so bright that they lit up the sky. _(A/N: Lol.)

* * *

_

_**On that day……**_

Finally, the day has arrived…where the paths of many would change, for better or worse. Many genins from other villages could be seen and to put it simply, well, some looked downright weird. Naruto snorted as he spotted more than three people wearing bandages to prove they are mummies. _You would think that bandaging your freaking eyes would cut down your eyesight. Apparently they don't need it. _

The kyuubi merely shook his head at his comments, choosing instead to continue checking for any faults within the kid's chakra system. Naruto had Kireki and Minagi fuss over him at home, and Anko fussing over all three of them while training. They appreciated the gestures, especially Naruto. Minagi had taught him a great deal on manipulating ninjutsus, and nature control. His training with Haku allowed him to grasp the basics of Ice element.

Kireki monitored his taijutsu stances, correcting his minor flaws, and was extremely satisfied. And so, Minagi had released the second Tennyo Fuin on his stomach, thereby giving him full access to Kyuubi's and his own Nature elements. The glee that filled him when he was actually able to summon a tree for once made his day. Kireki's eyes held a glint when she mentioned that the other two would release the seals and he would be at his full potential.

A smile lit up his face as he saw his two teammates waiting patiently for him at the base of the staircase. Both gave a silent nod, with small grins on their faces, before they went as one towards the examination room.

Just at that time, they heard a commotion before them, where a girl cried out, "Please! All we want to do is get past!"

Someone else replied, "Che, we're doing this for your good. Many have died in the Chuunin exams, regretting that they ever took it! Turn back while you have the chance!"

Naruto frowned at that, and with a quiet look, all three increased their pace, wanting to see what was going on. There before them, lay a trio, with the ever so arrogant Hyuga Neji standing at the back, followed by a girl with her hair in two small buns, much like a panda, helping a guy……_dressed in spandex……_

All three gulped at the sight of the boy. Naruto glanced at Sakura and Ino, "Oi……don't tell me……"

At that moment, the boy turned around……and there they were! THOSE OBNOXIOUS CATERPILLAR EYEBROWS! THE HORROR!

Ino flinched, Naruto cringed, and Sakura……yeah, she had to restrain herself from puking. She swore they were moving by themselves.

The boy immediately got up from the floor with a far faster speed before appearing in front of Sakura, "My name is Rock Lee. Please, will you go out with me? I'll protect you with my life!" His eyebrows wriggled to emphasize the point……

It was all Sakura could do to not throw up on the spot. Don't get her wrong, the boy had polite manners, was as gentle as a stranger could be, but those eyebrows……they reminded the trio too much of the extremely enthusiastic Gai……and those were very unpleasant memories.

Sakura gave a nervous laugh, "Er…Lee-san……as flattered……as I am, um……sorry, but I like someone else. And I hope he feels the same way as well." A light blush appeared as she thought of _her_ idea of a gentleman that took the form of a blond-haired, cerulean eyed boy.

Naruto smiled before walking behind her and placed a hand on the shoulder, giving it a light squeeze to reassure her, before turning to Lee, "Sorry, now that you've asked the question, er, could you…move aside for a minute?"

The seemingly dazed Lee quickly shook to his senses, before giving Naruto a salute, "My deepest apologies for blocking your way! My flames of youth have clouded my mind, sumimasen! _(Sorry!)_ Yosh! In punishment, I shall run fifty laps around Konohagakure! YOSH!"

Ino tried very hard to stifle her laughter as she watched Naruto sweat drop, trying to calm the over-enthusiastic boy down. She giggled as she tapped Sakura on the other shoulder, before jerking her head to the corridors.

Sakura glanced towards the room those two Chuunin guards were guarding that said 301. She almost balked at the sight of that horrendous genjutsu. Surely, _surely_ someone must have figured that out by now?

Naruto had finally assured Lee that no punishment was required and had convinced him to return back to his teammates. He was about to deal with the two guards, that is, sneak past them, but guess who comes in? Mr. High and Mighty EMO PANTS! Behold, UCHIHA SASUKE!

What does he say? "Oi, that genjutsu you have on the wall is pathetic, could you please remove it? I need to get to the third floor." Before looking around smugly, with an annoyed Kiba and a silent Choji bringing up the rear. Kiba hated the fact that Sasuke keeps thinking of himself as the leader. Choji doesn't mind, or rather, he doesn't care.

Naruto twitched as he forcefully stopped himself from smacking the Uchiha. There went their silent sneak up plan. Thanks. A lot. That S-O-B. _(A/N: I'm sure you don't need me to write it out. XD)_

Judging from the scowls on Sakura and Ino's faces, they weren't too happy either. Sighing, Naruto gestured to them to follow the corridor, before climbing outside the building, using the walls. Showing off is a dumb thing to do, and Naruto definitely wasn't as dumb as the Uchiha.

He glanced at the panda female to find her looking at him intently, apparently intrigued. Naruto shrugged it off, before walking away with Sakura and Ino behind him, giving the image that they were leaving.

Sasuke saw that and sneered, "My, my, the Dobe is so scared that he gives up? Che, expected from a weakling nobody like you."

Surprisingly, it wasn't Naruto who responded, but rather, a very pissed Yamanaka Ino that triggered a mild Shinranshin no jutsu, forcing Sasuke to kneel onto the ground and repeatedly bang his head onto the floor, as though bowing to the three as they left.

Of course, no one saw Ino do the jutsu, seeing how she was activating it based on Chakra feel. Sasuke eventually snapped out of it, but he had already repeated the action five times. It caught him off-guard, and by the time he realized, he was already the laughing stock of everyone present in the room. Of course, certain people watching the crystal ball of the Hokage were chuckling merrily as well.

Once they rounded the corner, Naruto gave Ino a tight hug and a small kiss, thanking her once again. Sakura chuckled at the dazed look on Ino's face, before dragging the girl towards room 301. Ino smiled dreamily, wondering whether the kisses might get more rough if she was a good girl……though she would never ask Naruto that. The boy was a shy one, and pushing him would do no good.

Finally, they reached their destination, finding Anko standing there, grinning widely, "Glad to see you're all here. So, are you guys ready?"

Naruto merely shrugged, before that familiar foxy smirk appeared, "You bet we are!" Add that to Sakura and Ino's confident nods, and we have a brilliant team ready.

Anko sighed, "You've come a long way; now show them what you've got!"

With a strong push, Team 6 entered the exam room, taking on confident postures as they faced shinobi from all over the world.

The faces showed contempt, curiosity, fear, hatred, whatever. One single glare from Naruto did the job. No one dared even glance at Team 6. Sakura held her head high, with her fists clenching and unclenching, showing off her well-toned muscles on her arms.

Ino tilted her head, before adopting her usual smirk, daring anyone to go against her. Needless to say, they were in the spotlight, and gladly took it.

Naruto spotted Hinata's team and grinned, "Yo! Hinata-chan, Shikamaru, Shino, glad to see you've arrived safely. There were nerds out there trying to prevent people from entering."

Shikamaru gave a yawn, "Yeah, well, we came early, stupid woman, telling me to be punctual. How is being two hours early punctual?"

Shino merely shook his head slightly. Out of all of them, only Naruto was able to communicate with Shino using mere body language. Automatically, Naruto interpreted it as _We're fine._

Naruto then tilted his head, and looked at Shino, _Really? What did your parents say?_

Shino's lips twitched ever so slightly, _They are proud of me. _

Naruto grinned widely, _Great! Alright, time to get alert now._

Shino's nod sealed the conversation. Of course, everyone else was wondering what the heck was going on.

Sakura, Ino and Hinata were chatting whilst Shikamaru surveyed the room, "Oi, Naruto, have you seen the others?"

Naruto snorted before muttering, "3……2……1……bingo."

And right then, the door of the room opened once again, this time showing a guffawing Kiba, a chuckling Choji and a very pissed Sasuke.

Said Uchiha growled before walking over to Naruto, "Dobe……"

But before he could take another step, one of the older Konoha Genins approached the rookie nine, "Would you guys keep it down? Are you _trying_ to get trouble?"

Sasuke snarled, "Get out of my way."

The Konoha genin looked unimpressed, "Is this all the great Uchiha has to offer?" He turned to find many curious gazes upon him, "Ah, where are my manners. My name is Yakushi Kabuto. This is my seventh try at the Chuunin exams."

Kiba snorted, "Seventh? You must be weak."

Kabuto merely smiled at that comment, "Or it could mean that the exam is really hard."

"Feh, I'll pass this exam easy as. You just watch."

"And I will be, Inuzuka Kiba-kun." He mentioned smoothly, earning more than a few stares.

Kiba gaped, "How…how did you……"

Kabuto chuckled, "I told you, this is my seventh try. Meaning I'm very experienced." He reached into his pocket and took out a pack of blank cards, "With this info cards, I can tell you the status, strengths, weaknesses of any ninja participating in the exams."

Naruto frowned, "And where did you get the info?"

Kabuto stuttered before recovering, "I have my ways. Can't have you guys copying me now can I? So anyone you want to know?"

Sasuke immediately spoke up, "Rock Lee, Sabaku no Gaara……and Uzumaki Naruto."

"Oh, you know the names? You're no fun, but oh well, let's see……"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "And pray tell, why would the great Uchiha care about nameless little me?"

Sasuke ignored him and listened carefully as Kabuto read off the info. _I will crush you during this exam, make no doubt about it!_

"First off, Rock Lee, Genin of Team 5. Team consists of Hyuga Neji and Higurashi Tenten. Jounin sensei is Maito Gai. Lee specializes in taijutsu, having completed 23 D-ranks missions and 8 C-rank ones."

"Sabaku no Gaara, from Sunagakure. He is a rookie, and completed 7 D-ranks, 12 C-ranks and even one B-rank mission. On all the missions, he returned unscathed. Incredible."

Team 6, upon hearing that looked towards the Suna team. Their eyes met, Gaara gazing intently on Naruto, whilst said blond merely stared impassively at him. At that moment, no one could tell who was more intimidating……but one thing's for certain. They are about to find out pretty soon.

Kabuto noticed the tension in the air and quickly continued, "Now, Uzumaki Naruto……eh? Team Captain of Tokubetsu Ansatsu Butai 6. Unknown ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu level. But presumed to be high given his mission records……whoa, I don't believe this." His expression showed one of pure shock as he read out loud, intending for everyone in the room to hear it, "26 D-ranks, 21 C-ranks, 14 B-ranks, and even 2 A-rank missions. Incredible! This could very well be _the_ strongest genin team this time round."

At this, Sakura narrowed her eyes, "How is it that you know our mission record so clearly Kabuto-san?" She ignored the gasps of surprise at their record.

Kabuto merely chuckled, "I told you, I can't tell you. I have my ways."

Ino reinforced Sakura's statement, "Well then, I'm sure you'll be very happy to report to Hokage-sama, because I sure as hell am going to ask him how someone being a _genin_ is able to obtain so much information."

Kabuto was about to retort when Naruto spoke up, "Hai, hai, arguments later. For now, girls, focus."

_Fox, this guy……_

_**Uh huh……reeks of snakes. Might be the one you're looking for……**_

_I swear I'm gonna skin him alive. Literally. _

Just then, he spotted Kabuto warning the others about how there are veterans here just like him and they would do well to be careful. He even mentioned that the Otogakure is a newly formed village, so they won't be a threat.

Of course, the three from Oto didn't take it very well and attacked. Sakura almost snorted at the pathetic acting Kabuto put up. Almost, because ladies never snort. Ino rolled her eyes as Kabuto puked.

And at that moment, one Morino Ibiki appeared, "HEY YOU MAGGOTS! QUIET!" Instantly, all the murmurs ceased.

Ibiki turned his devil eye on the sound trio, "Now either you sit the fuck down at the seats that I'm gonna tell you in a minute and stop fighting like a pathetic baby, or I fucking fail you right now and show you to my torture room. Choose one. Now."

The mummified one of the sound quickly bowed, "I'm sorry. The tension was a bit too much and I acted too quickly."

Ibiki snorted, "Damn right you did. Next time, think with your head, not your arse. Now come on! Get a tag, get a number and sit your asses down. The exam is about to begin. Any faggots that feel like failing can just piss off. ARE WE CLEAR?!"

Almost half of the candidates really did piss their pants. Of course, Ibiki got the reaction he was looking for.

Team 6, consisting of Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, cheered, "GO! GO! IBI-CHAN! HE'S OUR HERO! HE'S OUR GUY! HE'S A BAD BOY! HE'S THE MAN!" before breaking down into hysterical laughter at the stunned silence in the room.

Worse. Ibiki glanced at them before sighing in exasperation, "I honestly have no idea how to deal with you guys. I swear you guys will be the death of me."

Naruto grinned, "Well then, guess our job's done. Come on bro, Chuunin exams then, BRING IT ON!"

* * *

_**Right! Exams begin! Next chap, first exam and half of the second. Hope you liked this chap, because I definitely did. Especially the last part. I don't know what came over me, but I just had to do it. **_

_**ENJOY PEOPLE! ENJOY! Of course, review and tell me about it. XD**_


	19. Chaotic Faceoffs

_**A/N: Sorry guys! I've got so much stuff going on that I didn't have time to update. Lol, joined the Heaven and Earth forum after much debate with my friends, and decided I liked it very much! Perfect haven for NaruSaku lovers! XD**_

_**Now, I posted a NaruSaku oneshot, if you guys are interested, called I, you and us. Lol. **_

_**Ok, now, finally, we get to the Chuunin Exams…mwahahha……Not going to go in depth for first exam. Watch out for the second……**_

_**And some time later, I'll put a poll up regarding lemons after the three year time skip. Not sure if I'll do them. Or rather, not sure if I CAN do them. HAHA. But for now, let's enjoy chp 19! XD**_

_**Disclaimer: Lawyers that dare yap on about me owning Naruto shall die a very, VERY painful death……wanna try?

* * *

**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 19: Showdowns

"So……Ibiki is holding the first part eh?"

Asuma snorted as he took a deep puff of his cigarette, "I'll be afraid if I were them. That guy specializes in Interrogation and Torture. All he needs is to play with your minds, and it's over.

Kurenai shook her head, "No, I have confidence in my team, they'll pull through."

Kakashi merely continued reading his book, trying to ignore Gai's loud shouts of youth.

Anko gave a shrug, "Mine won't have a problem. They're used to Ibiki by now, calls him Ibi-chan."

Silence……total, absolute silence……even Gai shut up……

Asuma choked on the smoke, coughing and sputtering before looking, along with the other jounins, in wide eyes at Anko, "They…they call……call him…WHAT?!"

Said Tokubetsu jounin merely yawned, "Ibi-chan, and really, I told him a million times that he has a soft spot for them, but he keeps denying it. After all, no one gets away with calling big, scary Scarhead Ibi-chan." She stretched, before relaxing her muscles, "Alright, time to meet up with Kireki and Minagi-chan! See ya guys."

Everyone blinked at the casual tone in her voice. Aoba shook his head slowly, "I think……it would do all of us good to pretend we didn't hear that……"

Indeed……

* * *

_**With the Chuunin Exams……**_

Naruto was bored. Plain and simple. The objective of this written exam can't be any clearer. All it took, was a Kage Bunshin under the Akiraka Jiseki _(Clear Trace)_ to pop in and get the answers of everyone, and Naruto dispelled it, obtaining the information.

For Sakura, even easier. She knew all the answers. Ino got them off using Shintenshin no jutsu. Basically, the whole team finished in a quick ten minutes. So what did they do? Try to get guys to fail. If you can't even cheat properly, well, yeah, just quit being a shinobi. The point system was ridiculous, ten points off every time you get caught cheating, like huh?

Ibiki actually twitched and glared at them as they kept sniggering throughout his 'intimidating' speech. Naruto yawned as three more teams were sent out for blatant cheating. Hinata and Neji did well, one byakugan did the job. Emo pants used his sharingan and copied some guy's writing. The rest had some interesting ways, but Naruto didn't pay attention.

Ino smirked as Naruto gave her the signal. She secret formed the handseals for Shinranshin no jutsu, and activated it on a range-based style, where everyone within the radius of half a metre was affected. Of course, she had to use very little amounts of chakra to not arouse suspicion from the examiners.

It was amusing to see some people suddenly spin their heads to the left, or right, whilst others turned around. Needless to say, they all got sent out. Haku was amongst the examiners and she chuckled to herself quietly. _Those troublemakers……_

But Ino soon stopped, and grinned happily at Naruto, who chortled at her proud expression. Indeed, getting three more teams to fail just like that was a very high achievement. Unfortunately, Naruto and Sakura's skills won't have much use here, so Sakura took a nap, whilst Naruto flipped his exam paper around and started to draw.

Slowly, very slowly, the forty-five minutes passed. Ino was admiring her nails whilst Sakura tidied her hair. Naruto placed down his pencil with a satisfied grin. And just at that moment, Ibiki finally told them to stop writing.

"Alright, listen up folks; it's time for the tenth question. Of course, first, you've to choose whether or not you're going to take it." Ibiki had that glint in his eyes again. People usually run when seeing him like that.

A random shinobi yelled out, "What do you mean whether we want to take it? Of course we do!"

Cries of approval and confusion filled the room when Ibiki started laughing, honestly, it was spooky. His voice was cold and menacing as his eyes narrowed, "Really. If you don't take this question……you will fail this exam."

Raised eyebrows were seen, but Ibiki continued on, with a look of strange satisfaction on his face as he finished, "But those that choose to answer the question……and get it wrong……" His smirk grew wider, "I shall have to ban you from taking the Chuunin exams forever!"

Kiba's eyes shot open as he slammed the desk, "What do you mean? There were people that took the exams before us!"

Ibiki grunted, "Yeah, well it's bad luck that you have to face me this year huh? Tough."

Another shinobi stood up, "What the hell?! You can't do this to us!"

Ibiki nodded at Haku and she moved without hesitation. She shoved the shinobi into the wall and aimed five senbons at his throat, "If I can do this to you in under a minute, I'm sure he can fail you without hesitation. Now sit down, and be a good boy……or else……"

Haku felt good. Those dumb genins had dared to _leer_ at her, the nerve! Payback is sweet……She hated those masochists……

Almost everyone gulped at Haku's speed and precision, although one Uchiha did narrow his eyes in anger, _Why…where did she get such power? There is no way a kunoichi could reach that strength so easily! _

Haku smirked as she returned to her seat by the sides. If you were trained by that sadistic bastard of a teacher named Zabuza since you were seven. Yeah, you get good skills pretty quick. She eyed Team 6, only to find Naruto dozing off. Sakura and Ino were chuckling at Naruto's bored expression.

Ibiki noticed it as well, and roared out once again, for dramatic effect, "So! Decide! Fail now and try again next time! Or try and maybe never be a chuunin for the rest of your life!"

Silence ensued as droplets of sweat began to form on many people's faces. All of a sudden, a leaf nin stood up, before shakily raising his hand, "I…I give up……I'm sorry……"

Ibiki resisted urge to grimace at the indecisiveness of this leaf genin, and gave a quick nod, "No. 84, 25 and 67, fail!"

Slowly, genins began to give up as they weighed the consequences of their decisions. Naruto didn't know whether he should laugh or sigh in exasperation. He eyed the sand trio, glad to see them still in their seats. Naruto rolled his eyes, _Wouldn't do for a Jinchuuriki to be a scaredy-cat now would it?_

_**You're one to talk……**_

_Fox...what exactly are you insinuating……_

_**Nothing………**_

………_You sure you not going senile in there?_

_**I RESENT THAT!**_

_Like I care……_

Ibiki raised an eyebrow at the number of people left, so he decided to change tactics, "Hurry up and decide! I don't have time to deal with losers who can't even think for themselves!" In a way, he was sending a warning, telling them to not consult their teammates to affect their decision.

Naruto sighed, before he raised his hand and with a smirk, he smashed his fist onto the table, a **BANG!** Snapped everyone out of their reverie. "I believe I speak for all of us that we are not babies. Bring it on, whatever you have and we'll take it. Stop trying to drag it out and scare us away!"

Ibiki frowned as the tension in the room slowly dissolved, and inwardly scowled at the brat for meddling, "Oh, I suggest you think carefully, this may well jeopardize your future."

Naruto shook his head, "If I can't even answer one simple question in a small exam like this, well, really, might as well quit being a shinobi. I made a promise, to protect my precious ones, I _will _become Hokage one day, no matter what it takes. This is just my first step into the future, why should I even consider?!"

His foxy grin was apparent once again as he faced down Ibiki, his voice slowly rising, "Whatever dangers may come, bring it. Whatever pains I might suffer, bring it. Whatever disasters may occur, I say BRING IT! Because at the end of the day, I keep my promises, and I'll be damned if I get pushed away from my goal just because of one stupid moment of indecisiveness. Are we clear?"

Ino gave him an 'ok' sign as she smiled warmly at him, whilst Sakura just chuckled at him. Naruto continued, "My teammates ain't got no problem with me acting like a knucklehead, so why should you? Now stop dilly-dallying and give the verdict!"

Ibiki sighed as Naruto totally ruined his carefully instilled fear. Damn, even he could tell, this kid would really be _the_ best Hokage ever to exist. But it wouldn't do for the cruel, bad invigilator to smile now would it? So he kept his stony expression and glanced at the others, "Anyone else wants to leave?" _78 people……good batch this year……_

Needless to say, everyone stayed silent. Ibiki gave a long sigh, before a small smile crept across his face, "Well then, Daiichi shiken……All of you……PASS!"

He reigned in his amusement as their faces turned purple at the thought of just passing, before roars of confusion were heard, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?!"

Temari was seriously weirded out, "Then aren't the first nine questions pointless?"

Ibiki shook his head before looking at Naruto, "Go on brat, explain."

Naruto shrugged, "First nine questions were used to test your effectiveness at cheating, or basically, info gathering. If you can't even lead a team by gathering the right info, you're basically pathetic. The marks system clearly pointed it out."

Looks of surprise were on their faces as Naruto continued, "The last question was the big bang. Take it or not, it's a very risky decision. But you've gotta realize, in real-life, you don't hesitate. Because the moment you do……" He glanced sadly at Sakura and Ino, "You will very likely lose those that are precious to you in the blink of an eye. The conditions may be against you, the numbers might be against you, the whole damn mission might be against you, but the moment you doubt yourself, you will fail."

Ibiki chuckled as he slowly removed his bandana, and to the shocked faces of the genins present, he revealed his scar-filled scalp, showing them the results of being captured and tortured. "When at war, you can't afford to pick out the wrong information or miss out a piece of info. It will cost not only your team, but your village and your country! So don't you dare say the questions were pointless."

He sighed as he nodded towards the entrance, "It's good to see that we have such a big batch this year. I wish you all the best of luck in the exams."

And right on cue, the entrance door was flung open, and there he stood, Momochi Zabuza, with his huge zanbato on his back, his lazy expression evident, "26 teams……man, Anko only said there might be 12 or something."

Ibiki snorted, "Yeah, and you will do well not to believe everything she says. We've got a good batch this year."

Zabuza groaned as he cracked his neck, "Alright, they'll be cut into half by the end of the second exams anyway. Get your asses down to training ground forty-four in ten minutes. Or else instant failure. Move it." And he disappeared in a shroud of mist.

One of the Kiri genins gasped, "It's Momochi Zabuza! Demon of the mist!"

Naruto scoffed, "Look, he's a jounin of Konoha, and one of my friends, so if you don't want me seeking you guys out in the exam, you shut the hell up."

Obviously, the kiri genins quieted down, but kept sending glares at Naruto's team.

Naruto stretched before opening a window, "Come on girls, time to move."

Gaara locked his eyes onto Team 6 as they dashed out of the classroom in astonishing speeds. His fears were correct. This one……is going to be one tough nut to crack……

His smirk widened, _but he'll do……I'll crush him to satisfy mother's blood!_

Sasuke growled in anger as Naruto showed him up once again. He eyed the blond in disdain as he saw him converse freely with the two girls before dashing out of the windows. The speed, power, intellect was all higher than him. He couldn't comprehend why a supposed dead-last like him could be so strong.

His brother, Uchiha Itachi had told him to fear, to hate and live for revenge. Only that way will you become strong. But really, he followed the instructions, he did all that……then why?

To his knowledge, Naruto always had his friends by his side, and he used that friendship and concern as his fuel to grow strong. Sasuke frowned, they were basically taking totally opposite paths, so why? Why was Naruto so much stronger?

* * *

_**Later on……**_

Ibiki shook his head as he went through the test papers. As expected, Ms. Bookworm, Haruno Sakura got every single one right. Ino as well. Then he moved on to Naruto's……

And stared, then tried as hard as he could to muffle his mirth, before bursting out in laughter. Naruto had drawn a small comic on the back of his test paper.

It started out with a Chibi-Naruto forming the Kage Bunshin no jutsu. Then they all became invisible. They rummaged the entire exam room for answers before poof-ing, only to reveal Naruto dozing off. Sakura and Ino were pointing and laughing at him, and it finally ended with Team 6 giving a peace sign, "Your tests stand no chance against us, and you know it!"

"So, they did well I presume?" Anko chuckled as she entered the room.

Ibiki showed her Naruto's paper, and as expected, she smirked, "I knew they would have no problem. But the real fight starts now, the second part is always a tough one."

Ibiki shook his head, "Really……a tough one for them? My, my, so……" He raised an eyebrow at Anko's growing smirk, "How many do you think they would take out before getting to the tower?"

Anko acted nonchalant, "Meh, probably three teams at least……"

* * *

_**Back at Training grounds 44……**_

Finally, they are here once again. He chuckled as he remembered the training sessions held here within the 'forest of death'. Naruto watched as Zabuza explained the objectives, rules and other minor stuff about the second exam.

It was amusing, because all the while, Zabuza was exerting some pretty strong killing intent. Needless to say, more than half the genins were shaking slightly and looking quite green. Sakura and Ino listened attentively and formed routes in their minds. They knew the forest of death well enough, and tried to figure out a fastest and most effective way to the tower.

Naruto frowned as he realized that only one of the grass nins showed no signs of quivering whatsoever. He frowned, _Fox……_

……_**I can't tell kit……I'm smelling multiple scents, but one of them is definitely snake……**_

Naruto grimaced as he stored that information away. He gave a quick glance at the grass-nin again, only to find that this time, she was using her tongue, returning a kunai Zabuza threw.

His frown deepened as he too, could now faintly detect a familiar scent like that on Anko. And that……isn't good.

Zabuza felt it too. _This girl is no genin……Well, I'll play along for now. I can take her on……_

Sakura received the forms and knocked Naruto out of his trance, "Naruto, come on, just get this over with."

Ino chuckled as Naruto stared at her with a blank expression, "Huh?"

A vein appeared on Sakura's forehead she cracked her knuckles and said in a deathly whisper, "Naruto……you _were_ paying attention weren't you?"

Said blond gulped before laughing nervously, "Er……yeah……right……I'll sign now………please don't kill me."

Ino squealed in glee as she locked Naruto's arms and grinned, "Go on Sakura! Headshot!"

"WHAT?! NOOO! HELP! KIBA! SHIKA! CHOJI! ANYONE!"

Sakura smirked before rearing her fist back, "No chance!" And bashed Naruto……hard. And a poof of smoke answered her attack.

Ino pouted, "Aww, Naru-kun, you're no fun!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Right, and bashing me is fun? Come on, time to get the scroll."

The others just stared wide-eyed at this team. Honestly, anyone in their right mind would try and be as far away from them as possible. For once, Kankuro was thinking, _Freaks……freakier than Gaara……gulp……_

Finally, after all the teams were settled down at their respective entrance gates, the exam shall soon start. Kiba and Akamaru were stretching, Choji was quickly saving up his huge amount of chips, and Sasuke……was brooding……again.

Hinata was meditating, Shino just stood there, Shikamaru was yawning.

For Team 6……Naruto, Sakura and Ino……were twitching.

"Hurry up damn it! So slow……"

"Grrrr, ok, whoever we meet first is going down……"

"Seriously why bother letting us set out at the same time? No difference at all……"

Naruto cracked his knuckles one by one, before crouching low, "Alright, we'll go in a clockwise direction. I have a bad feeling about this. Besides, the more we take out, the better. Agree?"

Sakura took out her new pair of battle gloves and wore them, "Yep."

Ino formed a ram seal, "Leave the detection to me……"

And at that moment, all the gates were flung open in unison, and a huge yell was heard, "HAJIME! _(BEGIN!)_"

Without a single seconds of hesitation, Team 6 dashed right in, intent on finishing this exam with flying colours. They remembered the words of Anko, _I'm……not that liked within the village. Naruto knows why……I hate to say it, but I'm tainted. Because of me teaching you guys, many may treat you badly. And for that……I have to apologize. But I have to say, that I don't regret ever teaching you. You're my pride and joy. _

The three would never be able to forget that day, where their usually carefree teacher had shed tears for them. Anko. The crazy sadistic snake mistress cried. And hugged them in a true bonding way.

Therefore, the three had sworn, that they WILL show the village what their sensei can do. And this exam, would be the perfect way to prove it.

* * *

_**Back with Zabuza……**_

"Sigh……finally gone. Hmm, what's up?"

Two chuunins appeared with agitated and worried expressions, "Zabuza-san, we found three corpses……they…their injuries……"

Zabuza rolled his eyes, "What does their Hitai-ate say?"

"They're from Kusagakure sir…… _(Grass Village)_"

His eyes widened at that, before gritting his teeth, "Bring me there."

In an instant, they reached the spot. There they lay, the 3 genins, bleeding pieces of flesh. But the most significant injury……was from their faces……or lack of it.

Zabuza shook his head in exasperation, "Crap. Get Anko here. NOW."

"H-hai!"

The former demon of the mist took a close look around for any other clues and rubbed his forehead, "Things just got really complicated……"

* * *

_**Back in the forest of death……**_

"So……you think you could just insult us and get away with it?" glared Hiro Kuma.

Sakura raised an eyebrow as the mist genin continued spouting nonsense. Does it even look like she cares? Apparently, this guy was sent here to try and get a scroll.

Sakura took care of the rear whilst Naruto and Ino continued on. And so came the situation where she discovered this……man trying to stalk her. Unpleasant. She quickly distracted the man before finally confronting him.

Kuma seemed to think that Sakura was just a little weak lady, and of course, Sakura begged to differ. She slowly sunk her foot down into the ground, gathering chakra at her feet, before using that opportunity, "Doton: Ishi Saku no jutsu! _(Earth Element: Rock Barrage technique)_" She flung the rocks at the genin in quick progression, not giving him a chance to recover, before she dashed towards him.

Kuma was totally bewildered. One moment he was acting real cocky towards this girl, next he was getting owned. "What the……"

His heart almost stopped beating when Sakura appeared behind him, "Don't make threats you can't keep." Before smashing her legs into his torso, effectively breaking a rib or two, flinging the mist nin onto the tree trunk, before pulling out two kunai and stabbing them in his arm, pinning him there.

The mist nin yelped in pain and it was getting quite annoying to hear a man whining, so she kneed him in the crotch, silencing him immediately. She grabbed him by the throat and brought him to her eyes, "Now, tell me, do you have a scroll? Or do I have to castrate you to get the answer?"

Kuma choked down his pain for the time being, deciding that having his precious is more important. "I-I…do-don't have…a…s-scroll……it-it's with……my-my team-m-mates……"

Sakura sighed before muttering, "Figured as much, ah well, then I'll leave you be. Bye."

She turned around before snapping her fingers, brushing her hair back to get them out of her eyes, "Right……one more thing."

She grabbed the poor man's shoulders this time and _rammed_ her knee directly into the man's precious organ once again. Needless to say, the guy was utterly annihilated.

Sakura hmph-ed, "You DARE leer at me _and_ stalk me like that again, I'll rip it off you and let you bleed to death. How DARE you insinuate a kunoichi is inferior!"

She slowly sent out a chakra pulse, before detecting her teammates, "Damn it, lost too much time." Before quickly sprinting away, leaving a devastated mist nin behind, wondering why the heck he agreed to do this in the first place……

* * *

_**With Naruto and Ino……**_

They stood back to back; facing four mist nins with one other hiding somewhere. Naruto frowned, "Ino……ready?"

Apparently, the mist didn't take their words seriously enough and had tried to ambush them whilst they were passing through. Of course, their petty traps were pathetic and taken care of easily. Ino scowled at them, "Yeah……"

The mist nins were checking her out. _The nerve!_

Naruto noticed it as well, and gave her a slightly nudge, "Be safe." And he was gone.

Ino smiled slightly at his caring tone, before did her favorite move. She flung a shuriken at the two in front of her and yelled, "Ninpo: Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" One became five, five became twenty five and in an instant, the weapons rained down on the stupefied mist nins, injuring them heavily.

Before the others had time to react, Naruto was already behind them, "Kiri: Hirameki Hyaku go-juu Shou! _(Mist: One hundred and fifty flash palms)_" He surrounded them and blocked their routes of retreat, hammering blows upon them as fast as he could, not forgetting Kireki's lessons on swiftness and agility.

He was weaving a web of chakra, pulling it close slowly, trapping them in. His blows were quick and accurate, mesmerizing the enemies. He finally ended it with two final punches in the stomach, before forming a series of seals, "Katon: Goukakyu no jutsu! _(Fire Element: Big Fireball Technique)_"

And amidst their screams of pain, he quickly continued, "Futon: Renkudan! _(Wind Element: Wind Crashing Missiles)_" Blasting them out of the fire and knocking them unconscious. It wouldn't do for their scrolls to be destroyed now would it?"

Ino took care of those two with a slight poison that she added to her kunai the night before. All it did was paralyze the enemy for a short period of time, lowering their reflexes and reaction time. She too uttered, "Katon: Hosenka! _(Fire Element: Phoenix Immortal Fire)_"

The small balls of fire crashed into them, to reveal hidden kunais within, successfully crippling both of them. She quickly formed a camera triangle, "Ninpo: Shinranshin no jutsu! _(Mind Body Disturbance technique)_"

The remaining mist nin was just about to attack Naruto, only to find his arms not working properly……and the fact that he was slicing himself up with a kunai. Naruto formed a ram seal, "Mokuton: Jubaku no jutsu! _(Wood Element: Root Bind technique)_"

Within five minutes, all five mist nins were subdued. Naruto held up a heaven scroll and an earth scroll, before snorting, "Hmph, well, we can pass easily now. Sakura?"

The pink-haired kunoichi leapt down from the trees and surveyed the surroundings, it looked pretty impressive. "Naruto, I took care of a mist genin back……oh, so the rest were here. Got the scrolls?"

"You bet." Naruto threw one over to Sakura, then one to Ino, "We each keep one, that way, it might be safer. Alright, I'll take guard, you girls rest for an hour before we start moving again."

Ino breathed a sigh of relief, before leaning against a trunk, "Finally, all these tense situations destroyed my beautiful complexion……"

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Hey, hey, you didn't have a dirty old man leering at you whilst stalking you. Ew, now that I think of it, I should've punished him more."

Ino stuck out her tongue, "Feh, two of those retards tried to rape me. But failed miserably as you can see." That was quite the understatement, seeing how they were burned and stabbed repeatedly due to the onslaught of attacks before.

Naruto sent out a chakra pulse, before closing his eyes, _Fox……I have a bad feeling about this……_

_**Yep, I'll help keep watch, save your strength……**_

_Thanks……Kyuubi……_

_**With Team 7……**_

"Ah, Sasuke-kun, the ever so careful one. You saw through my disguise!" muttered the Grass-nin as she released her henge.

"Kiba may be clumsy, but even he's smarter than that. That code, he could have at least gotten half of it, yet you tell me you forgot it?" Said Uchiha quickly brandished a kunai, "Not a chance. Choji, get ready."

"My, my, so pushy. Ah well, have it your way, Kanashibari no jutsu! _(Fear Paralysis Technique)_" In an instant, a wave of chakra passed through the boys as they had a sneak preview of their own bloody deaths. It was gruesome and unlike anything Sasuke had felt before.

Choji vomited on the spot, barely able to move. It was worse than killing intent. This wasn't fear, this was a downright massacre! His hands were shaking, his eyes scanning for a possible way to escape. He was paralyzed by fear, this genin...no, she's definitely not a normal ninja. Whoever she is, she's strong……much stronger than them……

The grass-nin shook her head, "I'm disappointed Sasuke-kun, one simple genjutsu and you're out. How pathetic……sigh……guess my job ends here. Goodbye, the last Uchiha……" And with that, she flung a kunai casually at Sasuke's forehead.

His heartbeat increased, he eyed the kunai, yelling in his mind repeatedly, "MOVE IT GODDAMNIT!"

* * *

_**Elsewhere…close by……**_

"Whew, whoa, that was some wind. Damn it, Akamaru, you okay?" Kiba gently nudged his puppy as it barked back its reply.

"Hmph, we got him now. Think it's that easy to get rid of us huh? Just a wind-jutsu. I must thank Naruto for letting me train with him. Alright let's get……"

Before he could finish his sentence, a huge snake burst from the ground sending all the debris at the duo. "SHIT!" roared Kiba as he quickly utilized his "Shikyaku no jutsu" _(Four Legs technique)_ and dodged it along with Akamaru.

"TSUGA!" He rotated himself fiercely, forming a small hurricane using his velocity and the surrounding winds to his advantage; he clashed with the snake right on, eliciting a shriek of pain from the reptile.

Kiba barely stabilized himself before the snake's tail rammed him from behind, smashing him into the air. Before he knew it, the snake's jaws clamped down on Kiba and swallowed him.

_This is not my day……

* * *

_

_**Back with the examiners……**_

Anko grimaced as she eyed the corpses Zabuza showed her. Her eyes glowered in fury as she clenched her fist, before dashing into the forest, spitting out the much hated name, "OROCHIMARU!"

Zabuza's eyes widened and immediately turned to the chuunins, "Notify Hokage-sama immediately, also, get two squads of Anbu ready. We cannot allow him to escape! Now go!"

He frowned as he quickly teleported to the hospital to notify the doctors that injuries may occur, _Damn gaki, don't die on us.

* * *

_

_**With Kiba……**_

"Crap……at this rate, I…I'm gonna be dissolved by damn hydrochloric acid!" Kiba tried to struggle, whilst Akamaru tried to bite his way through.

But all that moving around has only caused him to slid further down. _Is this it?_

All of a sudden, a muffled sound was heard from outside, before the intestines of the snake exploded in a bloody gore, whilst Kiba slid out of the 'tunnel'.

"WHAT THE……NARUTO?!"

Whilst resting Kyuubi had detected the snake's presence along with Kiba's and Naruto had rushed along to see if he could help. Sakura and Ino went to search for the rest of Team 7, gaining pace slowly and carefully, not wanting to rush into hostile territory in their haste.

Upon reaching the site, Naruto witnessed Kiba being swallowed and quickly charged up his jutsu. Damn it, using Kaen Furea so many times places a strain on his arm, but right now, only that would work. "Seika: Kaen Rin! _(Azure Flames: Blaze Wheel)_"

Judging the distance quickly, he aimed it at the lower part of the snake's body and blew a hole right through it, freeing the distraught Kiba. He quickly grabbed hold of his friend and carried him to safety.

"Kiba…Kiba! You okay? Where's Akamaru?"

A small whine caught his attention and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief as Akamaru crawled out from the gory mess. He used a small water jutsu and cleaned up the stink in the area, before shaking Kiba slightly, "Kiba, where are the others?"

Kiba slowly got back his bearings, "Damn it! We got separated by a weird wind!"

* * *

_**With Sasuke and co……**_

"_MOVE IT!"_ And finally his hands reacted and plunged his kunai into his leg, using the pain as the perfect catalyst to shake himself out of his reverie, before dodging to the side, grabbing Choji and dashing off deeper into the woods.

The Grass-nin stared at the kunai for a moment, before a predator like smirk appeared on her face, "Now this……makes it all the more interesting……"

Sasuke couldn't help but shiver every time he thought of how close to death he was. If he had reacted a tad slower……He gulped as he quickly hid in the trees, along with a slowly sobering Choji.

He slowly calmed himself down, before letting some chakra seep into his eyes. He activated his sharingan quickly and scanned the surroundings, and gasped in shock as a voice called out, "You can't run from me Sasuke-kun. Seneijashu! _(Multiple snakes shadow arm)_"

Sasuke pushed himself aside as Choji rolled to his feet. The Akimichi apparently got the shock out of his system and seeing his teammate in danger, he reacted in the classic clan way.

He forced out his chakra, overcoming his fear, before yelling, "You wanna get to Sasuke, you gotta get through me! No one hurts my teammates!" He charged at the Grass-nin, with significant speed, given his bulk.

Sasuke gasped at Choji's actions, _He……why is risking his life for me? That baka! We can't win!_

Choji formed the Ram seal, "Ninpo: Baika no Jutsu! _(Ninja Arts: Expansion technique)_"

He did as he always did, forcing chakra to protect his body before sucking his head and limbs even, "Nikudan SENSHA! _(Meat Tank Missile!)_" And using the ways Naruto taught him, instead of reining in his berserker-type chakra, he let it flow.

It was devastating, he was a literal tank, destroying all obstacles as he charged towards the Grass-nin at alarming speeds. The grass-nin was apparently caught off-guard, since she had dismissed the threat of a pig-like genin.

Choji rammed into the grass-nin straight on, smashing her into a tree, before bouncing back and going for an encore. Sasuke gaped at the strength of Choji. He had always thought that the big-boned boy would be lacking in departments of speed and agility. Of course, he still is, but this……this is way beyond his expectations. _Damn it, had they always been this strong? Was I the one who got left behind?_

The Grass-nin leapt back up quickly, sneering, "Lucky shot. NOT ANYMORE! Futon: Daitoppa! _(Wind Element: Great Breakthrough)_"

At first, Choji rolled courageously against the strong wind, but the grass-nin suddenly exhaled a large burst of chakra, forcing Choji off course, before smashing her fist into Choji's bulk, knocking the poor boy unconscious in one move.

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he saw Choji lying there, helpless as the day he was born. His eyes flared in anger at the thought that he wasn't even good enough to protect his friends. _What kind of shinobi am I?_

He hesitated no more. He was an avenger. And he'll be damned if he stepped down now. This guy, will act as his measure. For his teammates, for himself! He will _win_!

He flung multiple shurikens with binding strings on them, before revolving them around a huge tree-trunk that stood just beside the grass-nin.

Her eyes widened as she got caught off guard once again, as the strings bound her to the trunk. Sasuke saw her weakness and formed the seals, willing his chakra to life, forcing at least three quarters of his chakra, combining it into this attack. Fire roared in fury as it surrounded Sasuke, glowing brightly as his determination spurred him on.

"Feel the pain! Katon: Ryuka no jutsu! _(Fire Element: Dragon Fire Technique)_" The flames heeded his call and as one big ball, they charged straight for the shocked Grass-nin, engulfing him in their wrath. It was a magnificent sight, Sasuke gasped for breath as he glared at the grass-nin that was currently screaming in pain due to the third-degree burns included.

He felt that strange satisfaction as he watched the grass-nin squirming in the flames of death. _Teach you to mess with me……_

However, his smirk was quickly wiped off, when the grass-nin's face melted, revealing a pale face with snake like eyes underneath……_the skin_. Sasuke nearly threw up at the sight of another face sticking out from where the skin ruptured.

And the fact that it was a man underneath didn't help. The grass-nin chuckled before breaking the wires and dashing straight for Sasuke, giving him one hard punch in the gut, before following up with a few kicks and ending the combo with a uppercut.

Sasuke coughed out the blood as the intensity of the punches hit him full force. It was unnerving, even after enduring a strong fire jutsu at such a short range……the guy didn't even seem injured!

"Kukukuku……Sasuke-kun, you need to be taught a lesson of respect!"

Sasuke tried his best to stay conscious, slowly inching himself away from the man but it was too late.

The Grass-nin's neck suddenly lengthened and caught the Sasuke, giving him a bite, before forcing his tainted chakra through the young Uchiha's body. Sasuke yelped in pain as the evil life force ripped through his core and settled down in his very mind.

His pain sensors were practically overloading as wave after wave of hurt washed over him and it seemed like an eternity before the man retracted his neck. He took a glimpse at the mark on his neck, only to find three black tomoes spinning crazily.

The man laughed as he surveyed his project. _I wonder whether he'll survive……_

But before he could do anything more, a feminine voice cried out, "Rankyaku: Kaichou! _(Storm Legs: Victory Bird)_"

He cursed as he quickly dodged it. It was hard. That fire attack did take a toll on him, seeing how he didn't expect it, not to mention that crazy fat genin rolling into him. He eyed the pink-haired girl coming at him in disdain before deflecting the wave of chakra she sent at him.

He turned back and gave one last smirk at Sasuke, "Remember my name Sasuke-kun. If you want power, you will come to me……Orochimaru……" And slowly, he sunk into the trees, before disappearing when Sakura smashed the branch in half.

"Kuso, he got away. Sasuke, you okay?"

Said Uchiha merely eyed Choji from the corner of his eye, seeing a blonde-haired girl tending to him erased his worries as he slowly let himself into the darkness. _I'm so……tired……

* * *

_

_**With Anko……**_

She hurried on, wanting to meet the devil that destroyed her future so many years ago, that conniving bastard that dared to use her as a mere subject for his experiments. The guy he treated as her lover. The guy she dedicated her life for. She gritted her teeth as she finally reached the spot, "GET YOUR FUCK FACE OUT HERE! OROCHIMARU!"

Her eyes blazing with fury widened, as a sick chuckle filled her ears, "Ah, what do we have here?" She spun around and flung two kunais at the target.

Orochimaru merely side-stepped and walked closer to Anko. She charged at him, shoving a punch in his gut, only to have it blocked. "Seneijashu!" cried Anko as the snakes appeared and attempted to ensnare Orochimaru, only to fail.

The snake sannin scoffed as he eyed Anko in contempt, "Foolish woman, do you think you can beat me with the stuff I taught you?"

Anko smirked as she smashed her fists into the ground, "Well, you miss simple stuff then. Ninpo: Chika Kage Kunai! _(Underground Shadow Kunai)_" And as Orochimaru's eyes widened, the two kunai Anko flung before sank into the ground, before a whole batch of them exploded from both sides, catching Orochimaru at full blast.

Orochimaru cursed his tact for underestimating her yet again, and his shock only increased when Anko appeared before him and grabbed both their hands and forced a kunai through them, pinning them both to the tree.

She smirked triumphantly as her right hand forced his left into a dragon seal, "It ends now."

She was about to start the jutsu when something felt off. She growled in anger as the 'orochimaru' she was holding turned into a mud clone that melted slowly away. She quickly plucked the kunai out to fight once again, only to be stopped by Orochimaru grabbing her by the throat and plunging her kunais into her body, incapacitating her.

She screamed in pain as Orochimaru placed two fingers on her incomplete Heaven seal and forced chakra through it. He was torturing her. Not only the physical aspects, but the mental ones as well. Unwanted memories resurfaced, those dark times in the lab, the way he just abandoned her……the hatred the others felt against her, the loneliness, the despair.

She hated it, this weakness, but she couldn't do anything about it. Tears rolled down her eyes as her nerves are getting overloaded. _No……stop…please……_

It was unbearable, the physical pain was taking its toll. She was trying her best not to succumb to his evil chakra but her defenses were slowly eroded away. "Please……don't……."

Orochimaru smirked triumphantly as he sneered right in Anko's face, "Today, my dear, you will pay for your insolence. Enjoy a painful death."

And with that, he doubled his administrations, intent on seeing his 'prized' disciple titter on the edge of insanity. His smirk widened as she bit her lips so hard that they began to bleed. Her muscles were contracting, as though suffering from a cramp, it was a withdrawal symptom that the incomplete Heaven Seal contained, hence the reason why Anko couldn't fight back.

The body craved the evil chakra whilst the conscious doesn't want it. The fight would leave her body exhausted and as Orochimaru kept on increasing the chakra output, Anko may well be pushed over the edge.

Her screams became mere gasps as her throat went hoarse. The pain was too much. She tried, tried so hard……yet still……she couldn't beat him……

In her mind, she cried painfully, thinking of all the times she spent with Naruto, the times she had actually been herself with friends and the other three guardians. She loved the nickname and had worked in secret, not wanting others to hate the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_. She owed it to Ryusei who had slapped her awake, along with Kakashi, forcing her to stop brooding.

She remembered Naruto's cheerful face, along with Sakura and Ino smiling every so brightly. Team 6……

Anko refused to show any sign of weakness. No, she wouldn't let the bastard have the satisfaction knowing that he succeeded in his torture. She took in a deep breath and was tempted to direct the tainted chakra directly to her heart, wanting to end it all.

She couldn't bear to see the expressions on their faces, she didn't want to cause them any more pain……_Just me……if I have to die alone……so be it……._

Orochimaru's smirk grew even wider as he detected the change in Anko's thoughts. He cooed in his sickly manner, "That's right Anko, feel your pathetic existence fade away. Let it go. Die like the worm you've always been……"

He was just about to administer the final blow when all of a sudden, a furious voice rang through the area, "TAKE YOUR FUCKING CLAWS OF HER RIGHT NOW YOU BASTARD!"

Orochimaru's eyes widened as a blond blur appeared in a flash and without warning, he received a huge blow in the chest, sending him flying backwards through a couple of tree trunks.

Anko's eyes softened as she saw the one boy she had came to recognize as her precious brother……"Naruto……" And those were her final words, before she welcomed the darkness, finally succumbing to the fatigue.

* * *

_**With Naruto……**_

After saving Kiba, both immediately went in search for their teammates. They had wasted quite some time already, fighting against a summon, and now, the explosion of chakra they felt was definitely a bad thing.

They came across Sakura and Ino tending to Choji and Sasuke, and Kiba immediately stayed to guard them. Naruto however didn't stop. He couldn't help but wonder why Anko's chakra seemed so near, yet so far at the same time. He didn't know whose it was before, because it was fluctuating. But now, it was loud and clear.

Anko was on the verge of dying, and it must have had something to do with……

"Naruto! Be careful, the guy who did this told Sasuke to go after Orochimaru! The snake Sannin!"

It was though the world had stopped. Cold-blooded fury engulfed him as he repeated those words, _It was Orochimaru…Orochimaru……Orochimaru…………_

_**Kit……That woman! QUICK!**_

Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He was off. _Anko, don't die on me now! Don't you dare!_

He charged through the trees, ignoring any obstacles, demolishing them as he rampaged through the forest, before finally spotting the pair. He toned down his chakra and in a flash, utilized Shunpo before smashing his fist into Orochimaru with some help form Kyuubi's chakra.

His heart ached when Anko uttered his name with such joy and relief. He quickly formed a Kage Bunshin and ordered him to take Anko back to Sakura and the others. The clone immediately carried out his order, leaving Naruto glaring at the snake sannin.

Orochimaru cursed as he eyed the blond genin before him. _The Jinchuuriki huh, this might be fun……if I didn't use up so much chakra in torturing Anko. And I can't risk it in case others spot me so soon……_

He figured he might as well anger the stupid genin to make him attack recklessly. There was no way he was significant enough to alter his plans, right?

"Kukukuku, Naruto-kun, came here to save that bitch of a woman huh? My, my, why so angry?" His smirk widened as he licked his lips, "Did you feel her terror when I caused the pain in her body? Did you feel her helplessness when I threatened to force her into insanity? Did you hear her beautiful screams as I ……"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Roared Naruto as he charged once again. Orochimaru expected that as he quickly dodged to the side. Naruto was seething in anger and suddenly, Orochimaru wasn't sure if his idea was that brilliant at all.

Naruto's pupils dilated before slowly morphing into a frightening crimson red. His canines increased in length as his claws formed as well. Fiery red chakra erupted from his body, as a tail manifested from it. He gave a deafening roar as he glared directly at Orochimaru.

"No one thre**atens my precious people and gets away with it! NO ONE!**"

He disappeared in blinding speed to Orochimaru's shock and horror, before appearing behind and bashing him right on the head, sending him flying down right back to the forest floor.

Naruto took a deep breath, before exhaling a huge burst of flames, "Kitsune no Hono: Sanryu Bakuha! _(Fox Fire: Three Dragon Explosion)_"

The flames morphed into three dragons before crashing down upon the snake sannin who barely got a resistance in time, the malice, the hatred and the anger behind the chakra was far beyond the imaginations of the S-rank missing-nin. The heat was incredible, they slowly turned white before a furious **BANG!** Blasted him further into the ground.

To think that such a young person was able to control the bijuu's power already. Orochimaru cursed his lack of research and his luck.

Naruto didn't give him a moment to breath as he dashed down once again. Orochimaru yelled, "Seneijashu!" Snakes flew out of his sleeves in an attempt to stop the onslaught, but failed as Naruto brandished his claws, "**SANKON CHI TSUME!** _(Soul Shattering Blood Claw)_" and tore the snakes to pieces.

Orochimaru could only stare in disbelief as Naruto lifted him up by the throat, those crimson eyes staring into his yellow ones. It was downright frightening as their combined voice rang through the area, "**YOU WILL PERISH! RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!**"

Naruto's right fist clenched as most of the fox's chakra concentrated there, slowly increasing in power as he glared at the snake sannin.

Orochimaru felt the heat increase and tried his best to escape but to no avail. He had underestimated his enemies too much this time and paid the price. His chakra was diminishing quickly.

He tried to change faces with the souls within him but wasn't quick enough as Naruto's fist rose to meet him.

"**ALL THE YEARS OF PAIN AND PREJUDICE YOU CAUSED HER! THIS! IS FOR ANKO!**" And without hesitation, Naruto smashed his fist, purposely slowing down the impact reaction time as his chakra did the job for him.

"**DIIIIIEEEEEEE!**" And with a final burst, Orochimaru was sent flying backwards, jaws broken, the chakra burning his entire body as he was forced through trunk after trunk. This kid……he is going down……to hell with the Hokage. This……threat must be neutralized now!

He winced as he slowly got up, before shredding the extra skin, and emerged once again, as his true self. The pain was still there lingering, no doubt a special effect of the Kyuubi's chakra.

Naruto eyed the snake sannin in disgust and rage as he cracked his knuckles one by one. A second tail slowly materialized as he began the onslaught again.

"**I SWEAR ON MY SOUL, THAT I WILL BE THE ONE TO KILL YOU OROCHIMARU! NOW FEEL MY WRATH!**"

* * *

_**Whew, that was long. I hope it makes up for the long wait. XD**_

_**The action scene was done ok-ish. I didn't like the stuff before so I might change them. But I reckon I did okay. You guys decide. **_

_**Alright, finally time for a break. Give me your thoughts. Eight thousand words people. I think I deserve some encouragement. XD**_

_**Well then, cya! **_


	20. Trouble

_**A/N: OMG! I've reached 20 chaps! XD**_

_**I thank every single one of my readers for giving my fic in the smallest bit of time! You have no idea how happy I am! **_

_**As of now, the stats of this fic are:**_

_**Chaps: 20**_

_**Reviews: 646**_

_**Hits: 126398**_

_**C2s: 73**_

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_**Look at those unbelievable stats! (Well, at least to me. :P) Thank you, thank you and THANK YOU! XD**_

_**Alright, now back to the fic, most wanted me to kill off Orochimaru, and well, you'll see in this chap what happens. Kukukuku, oh and hope you enjoy the little NaruSaku and NaruIno moments to come. :3 **_

_**Ok, let's get it on. Enjoy, as always. **_

_**Disclaimer: I find it quite tiring to repeat this for 20 chaps. Ya know, surely you've seen all 19 variations of my disclaimer, I don't need to put up another one.

* * *

**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 20: Trouble

"Kiba, you feeling better?" Ino asked after she finished administering first aid. It was all she could do for the moment. Sakura was busy using the basic, Shosen no jutsu _(Heavenly Palm Technique)_ to heal the small wounds Choji suffered from.

Sasuke remained unconscious, however, the eerie chakra surrounding his body didn't help. Sakura gave a sigh of relief as she finally finished treating Choji's wounds. She was just about to ask Choji how he felt when a huge burst of chakra came from the west side of the forest.

This feeling, this malicious intent, this anger……_Naru-kun!_

Ino gritted her teeth as she looked at Kiba. That was when Kiba shocked her by saying, "Go help that baka, he needs you guys. Sasuke will be fine with us. We're not that weak after all." His cheeky smile helped to lessen the tension in the air due to that chakra, and Ino nodded gratefully, "Arigato, Kiba."

Chouji grinned, "Make sure he stays in one piece! I want my eating buddy healthy at the end of this exam!"

Sakura chuckled before giving a firm nod, "We will make sure he's okay. Trust us. Good luck."

And with that, the girls nodded at each other, before dashing off towards the source of that evil chakra……when suddenly, Naruto appeared, coughing and wheezing as he struggled to bring a purple-haired female towards them.

"Anko-sensei!" Sakura cried out as Naruto laid her down. Ino however, noticed the convulsing Naruto and quickly went over to his side, "What is wrong? Naruto, are you okay?"

The Naruto merely smiled weakly, before uttering two words in the deathly silence, "Run, hurry……" before he disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Sakura's eyes widened in fear as she looked at Ino. Both girls had never heard Naruto use that tone of voice before. It was……no less than horrifying to hear their forever optimistic taichou utter words of such hopelessness. He seemed really weak, as though he was being injured from the inside.

Ino closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before sending out a chakra pulse, wanting to access the chakra signatures she knew so well. She had been able to do this for awhile, and she was able to identify Naruto easily because he always had two distinctly different chakra signatures. She felt weird, but didn't think too much about it, besides, Naruto won't keep anything from her……right?

Sakura immediately knew what Ino was doing and quickly started treating Anko. She winced at some of the injuries Anko had received and thought of the time needed to fix them……

Chouji suddenly appeared by her side, before slipping a pill in Anko's mouth. Sakura's eyes widened, "That's!"

Chouji nodded, "Yep, that's a soldier pill, should replenish her chakra and save her from exhaustion, now go, I can help with her wounds and Kiba will look after Sasuke. Naruto needs you both as a team. Go!"

Kiba grinned as he gave them a thumbs-up, "Hurry! The ramen freak is waiting!"

Ino's eyes shot open as she finally felt Naruto's chakra signature, only difference is, the unstable one just got bigger all of a sudden. She gave a thankful smile at the remaining members of team 7, before dashing off along with Sakura. _Naruto, please be safe……

* * *

_

_**With Naruto and Orochimaru……**_

"**OROCHIMARU!**" roared Naruto as he charged once again. Two tails……it's a gamble. Too long, and he'll lose some control, but still stay conscious……even so, against a Sannin……

Naruto gritted his teeth, _Like Hell I'll give up! Fox!_

_**Snakes…I HATE SNAKES!**_

The snake Sannin held out both hands, "Hmph, Gaki, KNOW YOUR PLACE! Seneitajashu! _(Multiple Snake Shadow Hands)_" As expected, a variant of the jutsu Anko always used appeared, only the number of snakes were doubled.

"**SANKON CHI TSUME!** _(Soul Shattering Blood Claw)_" Naruto charged his claws with Kyuubi's killing intent and chakra, and swiped through Orochimaru's defense, grabbing hold of the Sannin's head, attempting to crush it.

"**GAH!**" yelled an irritated Naruto as the 'head' promptly turned into mud.

His kyuubified senses kicked in, reflexively ordering him to dodge the incoming punches. Parries, kicks, punches were lashed out at one another. One would think that after having used up three quarters of his chakra, a shinobi would be helpless against a Jinchuuriki.

Orochimaru smirked, "You overestimated your power, Naruto-kun……" before spotting an opening and smashing his fist right into Naruto's gut, eliciting a gasp of pain from him. However, his eyes widened as the 'Naruto' grabbed his arm holding him in place, "**Well you underestimated mine then!**"

The snake Sannin gritted his teeth before kicking the first Naruto away, barely avoiding the axe kick the real Naruto had coming. "**TAKE THIS!**" roared Naruto as his foot connected with the trunk of the tree, fiery chakra sent out as shockwaves, almost cleaving the tree into two.

Orochimaru regained his bearings before forming the seals, "Che, the brat's got some skill……but not good enough! Futon: Daitoppa! _(Wind Element: Great Breakthrough)_" And using the same technique against Team 7, only with twice the amount of chakra, his jutsu clashed straight into Naruto smashing him through the trees.

He didn't relent, for he knew, he needed to seal the Kyuubi's power and he needed to do it fast. His plan can't be ruined all because of one wild card. "I won't allow it!" yelled Orochimaru as he dashed towards the Jinchuuriki.

His left hand charged up his Gogyo Fuin _(Five Elemental Seal)_ whilst his right hand formed half seals, "Katon: Karyudan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Missiles)_' and an onslaught of projectiles rained hell down upon the blond genin.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, _He thinks I'm that weak huh? _

And so, doing like Jiraiya had taught him, he held back his chakra for a short moment, before forcing a huge amount out in a split second, deflecting all the projectiles, "**Try this! Futon: Furyudan! **_(Wind Element: Wind Dragon Missile)_** Katon: Karyudan!**" And controlling his chakra natures, he blew out a humungous flame scorching all obstacles in his way. "**Nigyo Kentai: Ryuko! **_(Two Element Combinations: Dragon Cry!)_"

The flame increased in intensity, morphing into white-hot flames, engulfing everything. Orochimaru gasped in surprise at the technique, before berating himself for not taking the Jinchuuriki seriously enough. After all, it's not everyday a genin shows usage of chakra nature manipulation that easily……

The snake Sannin leapt out of the way just in time, before using Shunshin to get behind Naruto, his left hand placed in position. A purple flare of chakra protruded from each finger, signifying the five main elements, "Gogyo Fuin!" And using Naruto's slight moment of distraction, he moved to slam the chakra into Naruto's stomach.

However, once again, the Jinchuuriki proved his worth. The chakra tails felt the hostile chakra from Orochimaru and batted the hand away, before locking the Sannin in place whilst Naruto turned around and glared at him, "**So…you thought you could seal my power huh?**"

Orochimaru barely realized what happened when Naruto grabbed his shoulders and _headbutted_ him hard, the force sending him straight down to the ground. However, he was not a sannin for nothing, as he flipped out of the crater before a snake appeared from his mouth, spitting out his prized katana, the Kusanagi.

He smirked maniacally as he utilized his speed to his advantage. True, Naruto was better in all aspects when in Kyuubi form, but what he lacks, is experience in that form. Orochimaru merely made passing slashes as he circled the Jinchuuriki, like a snake eyeing its prey.

Naruto growled as he tried to find out where the snake sannin was, only to be rewarded by a huge slash right in the chest, causing a strangled choke to be heard from Naruto.

**KIT! FIGHT BACK DAMNIT! I WILL NOT LOSE TO A SNAKE!**

_I'M TRYING FOR KAMI'S SAKE! _

Naruto leapt into the air before yelling out, "**You wanna run? I'll make you run! Futon: Renkudan Renpatsu **_(Wind Element: Multiple Air Dividing Missiles)_" The huge balls of compressed air filled with Kyuubi chakra decimated the ground, forcing Orochimaru to stop his onslaught.

His eyes widened as Naruto gave a ferocious roar, flames suddenly appearing on his right arm, engulfing it, forming several spirals. The spirals slowly increased in size, before Naruto glared straight at him in the eye, "**TRY THIS ON FOR SIZE! SHIROKA: SAI DAI RIN! KAEN FUREA! **_(White Flames: Largest Wheel, Blaze Flare!)_"

The flames turned a familiar white shade, signifying the clear wind chakra manipulation to spur on the fire formed from Kyuubi's chakra. It was a magnificent sight, where Naruto gave a snarl of anger, before dashing towards him at incredible speeds.

Orochimaru could feel the heat brimming of the attack and quickly formed the seals, "Kuchiyose: Rashoumon! _(Summon: Hell Gates)_"

Just as Naruto reached the sannin, two thick shields of metal erupted from the ground through a black portal that appeared all of a sudden. The attack clashed right on with the gates, instantly forming a dent in it. Orochimaru cringed as he felt the gate begin to collapse and quickly held it together using all of his remaining chakra.

_Damn it, if I had fought this brat at full force, he is nothing, but as it is, I'm at a handicap…a severe one too……I must somehow even the field……_

Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief as the shield provided by the legendary defense of the Hell gates actually stopped his attack. But even so, a huge dent was clearly visible on the steel gates with the part where Naruto had hit twisted and charred to a significant extent.

Orochimaru quickly deactivated his summon, making the gates disappear in two puffs of smoke, before using the distraction and disbelief of Naruto to his advantage, "You're still……a rookie!" Before stabbing his Kusanagi through Naruto's stomach, right in the middle of the seal, before plunging it through his body, and stabbing the blade into the ground, pinning the thrashing Naruto onto the forest floor.

Once again, the Snake Sannin charged up his Gogyo Fuin once again, glaring at Naruto in contempt, not believing that such a pest is causing him such trouble, "Well, well, Naruto-kun, you've put up a good fight, I'll give you that much, but it's over now!"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his body convulsing as the pain swept through his body. He snarled as he thrashed about, trying to get himself loose once again, whilst Kyuubi was quickly healing the deadly injury.

Just as Orochimaru was about to slam his left hand down, a feminine voice called out, "Rankyaku: Tora Gari! _(Storm Legs: Tiger Hunt!)_" Said Sannin quickly ducked his head and executed the sealing technique.

However, things didn't go as expected for the umpteenth time of the day, when Naruto blocked his arm and forcefully pulled his body off the hand guard of Kusanagi, eliciting a roar of pain from the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

Orochimaru flung his arm aside and aimed right at his abdomen, taking advantage of Naruto's moment of pain. Fortunately, Naruto's kyuubi senses picked up the sudden movement and said blond tried to dodge to the left.

"FUIN!" roared Orochimaru as three of his fingers struck the seal on Naruto's stomach, making it some form of deranged Three point seal. The original purpose of the Gogyo Fuin, was to make use of the incompatibility between even and odd point seals to cut off Kyuubi's chakra to the boy, screwing up his chakra control.

However, this weird three point seal……Orochimaru smirked, _Things just got better……_

_**Kit! Control it! Gah……**_

_Grrrr………grrrr……GRAAAAHHHH!!!!_

Orochimaru took a step back at the sudden flare of chakra as Naruto's eyes turned totally red. Not just the pupils, but the entire eyeball……crimson as blood……

_Okay……maybe not………_Mused Orochimaru as he quickly dodged out of the way of a barrage of shuriken.

"Get your freaking pale self away from Naru-kun!"

The snake sannin rolled his eyes as he glared a blonde female charged at him. He easily evaded the attack, only to curse when the pink-haired genin swiped at his legs. He backflipped and smirked at their attacks. They were nothing compared to what that Kyuubi brat did……speaking of the brat……where is he?

Before he even had time to react, a fist lodged itself firmly in his jaw, completely shattering the left side of it, before sending him flying through the forest. It was unbelievable, he didn't even detect his movement! He was too careless, he was already at a disadvantage! Orochimaru cursed himself once again for his lack of preparation. He had thought that a mere infiltration and a torture session would finish the job……but this…this BRAT just HAD to interfere.

Sakura gasped in shock as Naruto gave a feral growl before proceeding to beat the crap out of the Sannin. Obviously, Orochimaru defended and retaliated, and if anything, it looked more like a child's fight, where both were taking punches to land a hit on the opponent. It was a ghastly sight.

The red chakra was fluctuating around Naruto as his punches' strength increased greatly. Orochimaru winced as they clashed again, he really didn't want to rip off another skin just to fight this crazed Jinchuuriki. But it was as though the blond had totally changed into a bloodthirsty monster.

A pained grunt tore from Orochimaru's throat as Naruto forced his claw right through Orochimaru's torso. Blood poured from his body as the snake sannin yelled out, "Doku Kiba!_ (Poison Fang)_" A huge snake appeared from a 'poof' of smoke, slightly smaller than the summon before, and bit down on Naruto, eliciting an ear-piercing scream as the pain coursed through his body.

The sannin grinned as Naruto blasted a small ball of fire at him, before melting into mud. "Kukukukuku……we shall meet again, Naruto-kun……But for now…enjoy your prey……" His sickening voice echoed through the forest, jeering at Naruto as he left him to his demise.

Ino frowned anxiously as she watched Naruto struggle with that snake. This wasn't Naruto at all! It seemed more like…like a fox in the wild, fighting for dominance against another animal! Naruto bashed the fang of the Snake in, before giving it a bicycle kick, launching it across the field.

Two gaping holes were present on his chest, yet the ghastly chakra slowly seeped into the wounds before regenerating flesh. It was a frightening sight. However, that wasn't all……Naruto seemed to be lost within his animalistic personality and glared at the two girls.

Both flinched as the killing intent poured in their direction. "Naru-kun?" Ino whispered as the fox-like Naruto in front of them growled before crawling on all fours. A dawn of realization occurred on Sakura as she remembered the snake sannin's words, _Enjoy your prey……_

"INO! DODGE!" yelled Sakura just as Naruto charged.

Ino gulped, and quickly leapt into the air, barely dodging the huge projectile that was currently intent on smashing her to pieces. She had never felt this before from Naruto! His signature felt unbalanced…uncontrolled.

Kyuubified Naruto stretched out his claws, before scraping them on the trunk, leaving five deep cut marks, to show the sharpness of the claws. Worse, the red chakra seemed to be poison or something as it slowly eroded the surface of the trunk, leaving a pungent smell……

Sakura glanced at Ino, "Stall him! We must think of something first!"

Ino gritted her teeth as once again; Naruto charged up his very own Shakkakyu _(Crimson Flame Ball)_ and flung it at her. "Easier said than done…WHOA!"

_**Da……ki……get…a…ol……now………**_

_Argh…hot…urgh…no…must…get…control……_

Naruto cringed in pain as he fought for dominance over the bijuu's natural blood thirst. His momentary lapse in movement allowed Sakura and Ino some breathing space.

_Naru-kun……

* * *

_

_**With Team 7……**_

"Oh you've GOT to be kidding me……" Kiba twitched as the three sound genins walked towards them haughtily, demanding that Uchiha Sasuke and their scrolls to be handed over.

Chouji gently placed Anko alongside the unconscious Sasuke, and then walked out to confront the enemy along with Kiba. The mummified character, Dosu gestured before revealing his metal weapon on his arm. They smirked eerily, "Can you defeat the speed of sound?"

Before the other guy, Zaku readied his wind blast, "Ha, leaf scum, I'll let you die painlessly if you kneel and grovel like the mutts you are." His smirk grew wider than ever.

Kiba merely patted Akamaru on the head, before whispering, "Akamaru, stand guard over them. Go boy."

Said dog gave a small yelp of agreement before jumping out of Kiba's jacket and ran over to the two unconscious ninjas. Kiba took one look at the sound trio, before giving a feral grin, "Doesn't matter if we don't hear anything! TSUGA!" roared the Inuzuka as he spun himself, forming that familiar whirlwind as he charged at Dosu, all the while keeping balance and gaining velocity.

Dosu's eyes widened as he rammed his Melody Arm right against the black whirlwind, only to find that Kiba had immense strength behind this attack and had flung his arm out of the way before smashing right into Dosu, launching him into the air.

Chouji had formed the seals, "Bubun Baika no jutsu! _(Body Part Expansion no jutsu)_" his arms grew to twice their size before slamming them right into the girl, Kin's body, sending her in a direct collision course with Dosu. Needless to say, they crashed into each other and landed in a heap.

Zaku growled before blasting at them, "Zankuha!_ (Air Crashing Waves)_" Kiba nimbly dodged the attack, whilst Chouji sidestepped.

"Baika no jutsu! Nikudan SENSHA! _(Meat Missile Tank)_" And as the 'big-boned' teenager began his rapid rotation, Zaku readied his second blast, "Feh! Bring it on you fat ass!"

Kiba snorted as he watched Chouji almost double his rotation, "That guy just signed his death warrant."

"I AM NOT FAT! I'm just CHUBBY! CHUBBINESS BANZAI!"

"Keh! Take this! ZANKUHA!"

Chouji clashed right on with the jutsu, the winds howling in his ears, as fury rushed through his veins. He was already disappointed that he was disabled that quickly just now, even if the opponent was the legendary Snake Sannin. He increased his chakra output and spun even faster, "I am Akimichi Chouji! I'll be damned if I fail to protect my friends!"

Slowly, but steadily, he began to advance even in the strong winds. The chakra waves were rolling off the chubby genin, where he was determined to show this guy, just who was the stronger one.

Kiba however, was fighting a difficult battle. His senses were heightened naturally, seeing how he was trained since he was young. The sound waves were particularly shrill and quite annoying really, so Kiba had to make sure that weapon is ruined, "Nice arm, pity I'll have to break it."

Dosu's eyes widened in disbelief, he had been charging chakra into his Melody Arm for the past five minutes, yet still, this kid showed no signs of dropping. He eyed the feral genin curiously, wondering how on earth he was still standing and not on the ground, puking.

To be honest, Kiba was quite pleased with himself. He had taken a direct hit, right in the face, with the Melody weapon ringing right next to his ears, almost disrupting his balance, seeing how the sound waves transfer through the human body, using the water within to create illusions in surroundings, thereby ruining the guy's sense of direction and balance.

Tricky, but for an Inuzuka, it's a tad less effective. See, Kiba can rely on his sense of smell to coordinate his movements, and therefore, unconsciously, when he focuses on scents, it lessens his hearing abilities somewhat.

The girl was pathetic, her leg was sprained from the fall just now, and only Dosu and Zaku were left. Kiba gathered his chakra too his hands, before lengthening his nails and sharpening them to form claws, "Tessou! _(Metal Claws)_"

And to Dosu's absolute horror, Kiba's claw clashed right on with his Melody Arm, leaving several cracks within, before it succumbed to the pressure exerted and shattered into pieces.

Kiba's grin widened, "Tatsumaki! _(Tornado)_" and using his hardened claws, he executed his much stronger attack, before crashing into Dosu, breaking a few ribs. "Teach you to mess with me!" and with a final snarl, he send the mummified bastard flying through a few trees, before landing heavily, tittering on the brink of consciousness.

Kiba gasped for breath as he sat down on the ground. That attack, Tatsumaki was a self improvised one. The power was confirmed, but he could tell the control was slightly off. Ah heck, at least that guy's down. He turned to look back at Chouji and Zaku, only to witness the moment where Chouji finally broke through the defenses and rammed Zaku into the ground, crushing his right arm.

Chouji too, slumped to the ground, gasping for breath. He had never managed to hold the Nikudan Sensha for that long, looks like they've all grown throughout this ordeal. The two boys shared a grin, before searching the three for scrolls.

* * *

_**Back with Team 6……**_

"**RAAAWWWRRR!**"

Sakura winced as another blow missed her by a mere hair's width. Naruto seemed to be having an internal battle whilst destroying any obstacles in his path. He was in pain, and desperately trying to stop, yet the animalistic instincts of the bijuu took over due to Kyuubi being partially blocked from Naruto.

Ino gritted her teeth once again, forced to dodge as Naruto sent a chakra shockwave at her. She had yelled out to the blond, trying to shake him out of his reverie. It pained her to see him cringe every time he nearly hit them. It was obvious something happened when that disgusting snake pedophile bastard shoved his hand into Naruto's stomach (_What kind of man gives love bites as presents to 12 year olds?_).

Suddenly, she felt her reckless behaviour kicking in and remembered Naruto's words, _Be yourself, and go with the flow._ Ino smirked as the idea she had just might work! Indeed, Naruto seemed to be getting slower, as though the red chakra surrounding him was suffocating him. The heat generated was intense and Ino knew, that if she didn't do anything fast, Naruto might die.

She leapt over to Sakura, before whispering, "I'll try and resist him, in the meantime……"

The pink-haired girl's eyes widened before staring at Ino in disbelief, "You…you……"

Ino sighed, before giving a sad smile, "It's all we can do right now. Besides, he usually listens to you."

Sakura bit her lips, searching Ino's eyes for any sign of deceit, finding none. Ino truly wanted to save Naruto……even going this far……"WATCH OUT!" she quickly pushed Ino to the side as the tail smashed onto the spot where they were a few seconds ago.

The pink haired girl gave a hesitant nod, before moving to execute the plan. Ino closed her eyes, forming a camera rectangle, before directing all her chakra to her palms, "Ninpo: Shinranshin no jutsu!" Instantly, Naruto's movements became restrained, though it was evident that he was trying to thrash about, wanting to remove this obstructive jutsu.

Ino coughed up some blood as she forced all her strength in holding this jutsu. "Sakura!"

Said girl however quickly got hold of the struggling Jinchuuriki, and without another word, she kissed him on the lips. Ino's heart ached a little as she watched Naruto slowly calm down, the red chakra dying as his own blue one overwhelmed it.

Naruto couldn't believe his eyes when Sakura kissed him. It was unbelievable, a true lifeline sent from heaven, by this angel. He had been desperately trying to fight back, but the animalistic intent was stronger and he had begun to lose faith. Her kiss meant everything, her trust in him, her love for him.

And with that, he summoned up all his chakra and successfully took control of his body again. He gasped for breath as he broke the kiss, his chakra tails dissolving into nothing. He gave Sakura a depressed look, feeling genuinely sorry that she had to resort to this to get him to wake up. If only he had been stronger……

Suddenly, his mind yelled, _What about Ino?_

He stood up in a flash, shocking Sakura, looking around worriedly, not knowing what he would do if Ino was hurt because of him. But then, a pair of slender arms slowly wrapped themselves around his waist, before a soft, slim figure leaned against his body, "Welcome back Naru-kun."

Her voice was melodious, simply music to his ears as he breathed a huge sigh of relief. He held his hand out to Sakura, before pulling her in for a deep embrace, "Oh Kami, I thought I had lost……If…If you two were hurt because of me…I……"

Ino simply shut him up by placing a long passionate kiss on the Jinchuuriki's mouth, to the slight jealousy of Sakura. "Naru-kun, you worry too much."

He shook his head in exasperation at their carefree and cheerful smiles, wondering whether or not they understood the severity of the situation……oh……right…they didn't know……

He wanted to just bash his head on the ground for his stupidity, thinking he could take on the Snake Sannin by himself. Naruto had bitten off more than he could chew.

_Yo fox! You there?_

_**Ba…k…I…t-o……ld…….y-you…….**_

_Oi speak up! I can't hear you properly!_

_**Y………ink……….dum………**_

Naruto cursed as he saw three slightly off target seal marks on top of his Hakke Fuin Shiki and the Shishou Fuin. That must be the reason why he couldn't communicate properly with his inner demon.

The blond suddenly realized his predicament. He looked at Sakura, then back at Ino, only to find them both looking at anywhere but each other. He grimaced, knowing it was his fault for not being vocal of his feelings, but really, he didn't know!

He made to ask for their forgiveness, but Sakura beat him to it, "No, Naruto, don't be sorry. I…I kissed you……because I like you…even love you. I'm sure Ino feels the same way. Treat this……as our way…of fighting for the possibility of being your girlfriend. Please……I know this sounds selfish but……"

Naruto would hear none of that and pulled them in for an intimate group hug. He sighed as he gently caressed their cheeks, gazing lovingly straight into their eyes, before whispering softly, "I like you both. Honestly, I do. You're perfectly right, but no, you're not fighting to be my girlfriend. Because I'll be honored to have either one of you as my future."

Ino giggled at his words and gave him a chaste kiss on his right cheek, "Well, we're just fighting for the chance to have a first date with you."

Sakura too, gave him a kiss on his left cheek, "So don't worry about us Naruto, girls have their own ways of solving problems."

Naruto grinned in his foxy way, before making an important decision, "Look, I'm sure both of you are dying to know why exactly I went berserk." He raised a hand to stop their protests before teasing them, "I know it's true, so don't even think about denying it." He can't help it, their pouts were cute.

"I'll explain once we reach the tower and I've cleared it with ji-san. But promise me, not to tell anyone of this, please?"

The girls shared a knowing look, before nodding, "Hai."

Just then, Naruto smacked himself on the forehead, "Crap! What happened to Anko?"

The girls merely chuckled at his childish antics as they reassured him that their sensei was in good hands.

* * *

_**With Team 7……**_

They were now ready to pass, it was just lucky that the sound trio had a heaven scroll, whilst they had an earth scroll. Dosu had used their scroll in exchange for their safe retreat and the two boys agreed.

Kiba was resting against a tree when suddenly, his nose picked up Naruto's scent, "Eh? Naruto! You're back!"

Chouji smiled happily at the somewhat safe return of his friend, judging from the blood and mud he was covered in, he had been in for a rough fight.

"Yo, Kiba, Chouji! Thank Kami you guys are alright." Naruto gave them hi-fives as he grinned crazily, before staring worriedly at the unconscious Anko and Sasuke. "They okay?"

Kiba nodded, "Yeah, pulses finally settled down, your sensei is somewhat unstable though, she kept shivering. Sasuke…just had this eerie purple chakra coming off him."

Sakura and Ino leapt down soon after and did their best to heal Kiba and Chouji's injuries. Naruto thought for a moment, before picking up Anko and carrying her on his back, "Chouji, you guys got both scrolls?" Said chubby genin grinned whilst showing them the pair they now had.

Team 6 had three, 2 heaven and I earth, however, the heaven scroll Naruto was carrying was flung somewhere when the giant snake bit down on him. But Sakura and Ino still had theirs, so it was all good.

"Okay, grab Sasuke, and we'll head to the tower. Now." And with renewed vigor, the five of them dashed towards their destination, not letting down their guard for even the slightest second.

* * *

_**With Team 8……**_

"Sigh…mendokuse, we finally reached this place……"

Shikamaru noted idly that they were the second team to arrive. Funny, he had thought Naruto's team would be the first.

Shino tensed as soon as he spotted the trio from sand, it was unnerving and his bugs became more frantic. The scene they had witnessed wasn't pretty at all.

They were on their way here, when suddenly, they encountered upon three mangled corpses, blood oozing off their bodies, their bones completely crushed, and the only clue they had, was sand that were trailing around their bodies.

Hinata had used her Byakugan and detected those three sand genins, and yes, one of them, the red-headed one had an immense chakra system, and his gourd was veiled with chakra as well, but Hinata managed to make out the shapes of the fine sand hidden within.

To think that the genins were totally uninjured and taking their own sweet time was extremely unsettling. Hinata gave a slight shiver as the three sand-nins stared at them in indifference, before walking away to their rooms.

Unknowingly, each let out a sigh of relief as the sand nins left. The examiners were shaking their heads in disbelief, "Man, just half a day, an already two teams are here. This batch is good."

Shino frowned at the mention of only two teams, and Hinata gave a curious glance at the examiners. With a nod from both Shino and Shikamaru, she activated her byakugan, and scanned the surroundings for Teams 6 and 7.

To her surprise, no less than seven figures were nearing them at an intense speed, two however, had exceptionally weak chakra signatures.

She smiled gently as indeed, Uzumaki Naruto along with his team burst through the doors of the lobby, startling more than just a few people, including the sand-nins, and Team 8, with Kiba, Chouji and Sasuke who was being carried by the chubby boy followed suit soon after.

On Naruto's back……was Mitarashi Anko. Ibiki's eyes widened in shock as he saw her lifeless state, before gathering a few chuunin to get the Hokage here quickly, whilst he sent some to get Zabuza here as soon as possible.

Naruto was exhausted. That last sprint was extremely draining, seeing how he was running for two. He had acted as distraction every time they encountered enemies, not wanting to waste any more time in delaying the treatment to Anko and Sasuke.

Upon seeing Ibiki, he greeted him with a tired grin, before collapsing onto the ground, unconscious. The scarred man froze in shock as he carefully cradled the boy in his arms. All he had said was a name, but it was enough.

"Orochimaru……"

* * *

_**Sorry for the long wait! Exams took a lot out of me, but you'll be glad to know that I only have 2 more left! XD **_

_**Don't worry, I'll be updating much faster soon. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Review and tell me your thoughts. Kabuto's role shall change, you guys will see. **_

_**And I'll be writing a multi-chap NaruOC story as well, so keep an eye out for that. **_

_**Thank you guys for your support! It means everything to me. XD**_


	21. Truth

_**A/N: Guys, sorry for the long wait. But really, this holiday I'm having right now is getting pretty hectic. Like the latest chapter of "I Live On", I did it over the lounges of six different airport. Luckily, for this one, I can actually sit down for 2 hours and type it out. This idea has been going on in my head for a while, but I just couldn't find the time to get it down. **_

_**And like, I have a computer curse, as in whatever com I touch usually breaks down. So yeah. Bear with me. **_

_**Ok, this chapter might be a surprise, lol, so yeah, just wait and see.**_

_**As always, enjoy. XD**_

_**Disclaimer: I have nothing whatsoever to do with the production of the Naruto manga and anime. I merely slightly disagree with the plot and twisted it a little for this fic. :P

* * *

**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 21: Truth

_**Ki……ke……up!**_

_Huh……what……_

_**Get……kit!**_

……_Kyuubi……_

_**I……fuse…….lose!**_

_What…oh right……that seal……I have to remove it. _

_**Dam……ou……do!**_

"Look, his eyes are opening! He's awake!"

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, pupils quickly adjusting themselves to the light intensity, before focusing on the people around him.

Sakura and Ino were both sporting bandages and plasters around their arms. Their hair was messy and tears were slowly streaming down their cheeks in joy.

"Naru-kun!" was all he heard before he was hugged from both sides. His arms automatically went around both their waists, cradling their slim bodies to his own, filled with immense relief that they were both safe and sound by his side.

"We're glad to have you back with us."

Naruto lifted his head slightly, finding himself looking at the Sandaime Hokage, "Ji-san! Orochima……did you find him? What happened to Anko? Wha……"

Sandaime placed a hand on his head, smiling gently, "Do not worry Naruto-kun. Anko is now in the ICU, getting treated by the best of our medics at this very moment. Jiraiya should be arriving……about now."

Naruto cringed and unconsciously touched the deranged 3 point seal on his abdomen. He slowly sat up, his eyes sad and angry, "Ji-san……is everyone else alright?"

The Hokage nodded, before giving a sigh of melancholy, "Yes, they're all fine……though I'm afraid this experience might have exhausted them mentally."

"The preliminaries of the third exam shall begin in a few hours. It's a good thing you woke up now. Kireki and Minagi came by to visit, but due to other……matters, they had to take up defensive positions with other shinobi."

Fists clenched, Naruto bit his lips, before staring at the Hokage and blurting out, "Let me tell them."

In an instant, the atmosphere in the room changed. Sandaime's eyes widened, whilst the other Jounin, Genma dropped his senbon in shock.

He stared into their eyes, unwavering, ignoring the curious glances sent his way by his two best friends. "Ji-san……"

"Let him." A certain white-haired hermit entered the room and took his usual posture, leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed, his eyes staring at Naruto warmly, reassuring him, and to the blond, that was the best reaction he got so far.

"Jiraiya-sensei……"

Sandaime looked at Naruto, before asking gently, "Are you sure?"

Sakura nudged Ino, before bowing before him, "Hokage-sama, we'll come back in when you call us."

Jiraiya chuckled and gave them a thumbs-up. Ino kissed Naruto on the cheek tenderly, before leaving with Sakura. She knew something was wrong here, something extremely important. And maybe, just maybe they'll be let in on the secret.

She glanced at Sakura, proud of her wit, knowing that it would be extremely impolite to stay there under that kind of conditions. The pink haired girl glanced at her apologetically, "Gomen Ino, I just thought……"

Ino smiled, "No worries, you did the right thing, so for now, let's be patient……though Naruto……I really want to be by his side now……"

Sakura hugged Ino lightly, "Don't worry, we'll pull through this……we have to."

Naruto's eyes followed their slim figures all the time, heart aching at the possible outcome of this situation.

"Naruto, you're all too young, and not supposed to be able to withstand all these……yet you have……I…I don't know what to say……"

The blond genin sighed, before staring at the ceiling, "I've become so numb over the years. The pain, the sorrow, I've had it. I need to tell them. They're my best friends. I owe them that much. Ji-san, please."

His cerulean orbs were pleading, the melancholy within them said it all. This ordeal had allowed him to fully realize that it wasn't possible to protect his precious people all the time. Even if he was a bit careless, the tide of the battle could sweep him away, and send him into the losing end. Like this time, he severely overestimated his abilities and let his anger control him.

He kept reminding himself of the conversation he had with Kyuubi since he met him when he was five. Those exact words kept repeating themselves in his mind, _All I want, is to become more like me, and less like you._

Such a simple sentence, such courage, such innocence……

If he had agreed to merge with Kyuubi or release the yoko, he could have all the power he wanted. He could become the rookie of the year, get everything he was owed, massacre all the villagers that treated him badly. He could use the hatred and revenge that the yoko had and unleash it's full power.

However, he chose to be himself, the kind, forgiving and naïve self that he was.

Naruto always wanted to believe that everything would be alright, as long as he trained enough, as long as he kept trying, all will be fine in the end.

But now he knows, that this is not the case. Life doesn't go that way. Unexpected circumstances and all sorts of other obstacles shall place themselves before you, it's never a smooth course. Things don't go the way you think they would.

"Everyone hostile is your enemy, the world is cruel……the job of a shinobi has an extremely high mortality rate……Ji-san……I have to tell them……I refuse to be a burden for them……"

Jiraiya nodded slightly, before grinning, "You decide. As my disciple, you must have the determination and the realization

Sandaime gazed into the determined eyes of Naruto, and gave a slight smile, "Well then, the stage is yours."

Naruto immediately leapt out of bed and dashed out of the window. Everyone in the room was surprised by this action, yet Jiraiya just laughed, "Don't worry, he's just testing his efficiency with his chakra at the moment, that misplaced seal by Orochimaru has hindered him somewhat, so before he negotiate with the Kyuubi, he needs to try it."

He dashed for the top of the tower, before placing his fingers into his mouth, giving a sharp whistle, his speed increasing all the while. The gravity seal was released earlier ago when they had to perform a full body check on him. It felt so free, without hesitation, he rushed for the top of the tower.

Just as he landed, two other blurs arrived right after him, Haruno Sakura, with her arms crossed and Yamanaka Ino chuckling softly to herself.

"Naruto! You're supposed to stay in bed!"

The blond didn't turn around, instead he opted to stare up at the rising sun, willing himself to gather up the courage he would need for the things he would have to say.

Sakura instantly detected his change in posture and stopped her onslaught of words. Ino too, realized that Naruto was strangely calm here. Usually, he couldn't even stay still for one second.

The Kyuubi jinchuuriki took in a deep breath before saying, "I…I've something to tell you guys. It's a secret I've kept all these years, an S-rank secret."

Gasps of shock were heard and Naruto turned around, "What do you know of the Kyuubi that appeared before this village thirteen years ago?"

Silence……awkward silence……before Sakura slowly answered, "It terrorized the village, it killed off half of the village's population and was named one of the most terrifying bijuu ever to exist in this world. It was then confronted by the Yondaime and killed by a suicidal technique invented by the Yondaime."

Ino shifted uncomfortably, her pale blue eyes searching in the cerulean that were currently gazing at hers, "Naruto……"

Naruto shook his head slowly, "No, the Yondaime……didn't kill it." He watched the expressions on their faces change from confusion to realization to horror, his heart slowly sinking, "Instead, the Yondaime……sealed it……using a forbidden sealing jutsu……into a newborn baby."

He took one step behind, before stretching his arms out towards the sky, releasing the breath he's been holding all the time, "That baby is me, as you've probably guessed."

He gazed longingly at the deep blue sky, "Since that day, I've been treated to all sorts of prejudice and hatred, and……basically, I can't be who you are."

Naruto laughed bitterly, "I'm one of the jinchuuriki in this world, born to hold a demon in order to harness its power and protect allies and destroy the enemies. I've probably had it better than most others. There is……a group……out there trying to capture us……and remove the bijuu from us……and basically taking away out lives for their benefit."

He closed his eyes and relaxed, "You two were my first friends, and I love both of you just as much."

Naruto gradually opened his eyes, and gazed lovingly into their eyes, "Did you know I had this dream……"

He scratched his head, "I dreamt I was missing. You were so scared. But no one would listen, because no one else cared. After dreaming, I awoke with this fear, _what am I leaving when I'm done here_?"

Naruto held their hands gently, "So now……I need a favour from the two of you. I want you to promise me……that when my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done, and help me leave behind some reasons to be missed."

His smile was so innocent, so sweet, "Please don't resent me for what I am. When you're feeling empty, keep me in your memories and leave out all the rest……"

The cerulean orbs dimmed, "I'm strong on the surface, not all the way through. I've never been perfect……so I have to let you know……know what I am……know who I am……"

Tears were running down his cheeks, "I try to forget all the hurt inside I've learnt to hide so well, pretending someone else can come and save me from myself. But……in the end…… I can't be who you are. Not now, not ever."

"Every step that I take is another mistake to you……I've become…so…tired……" He slowly let go of their hands and turned around, his eyes filled with melancholy and sorrow, "Every second I waste is more than I can take……"

"I know I may end up failing too……but I know……I can do it……I have to do it……" His fists clenched, "At least……you can……leave now……"

Before he even had the time to react, a pair of strong arms encircled his waist from the back, pulling him into a deep embrace whilst another one grabbed his face and kissed him deeply on the lips.

Naruto was totally surprised by this outcome, before realizing that it was Ino kissing him whilst Sakura was sobbing into his neck, "How could you not tell us until now?! How can you tell us to leave you?!"

Ino glared right in his face, "I will _never_ let you be alone. Not after all we've been through, not after you saved me……not after you met me……NEVER!"

Naruto was at a loss for words, his mind yelling at him to chase them away lest they be hurt like this time, whilst his heart was singing for him to persevere and do this together. He looked at Ino, seeing her resolute expression, before gazing at Sakura's firm stare, "………"

Sakura stood on her toes and without warning, bit his left ear, "Don't you ever dare tell us to leave you again. We can never be separated from another, because we'll just meet each other again."

Ino stroked the whisker marks on his cheeks, "We're a trio, we'll always be together, we're meant to. Don't you agree?"

Naruto closed his eyes, before the familiar foxy grin spread across his face, a deep laugh erupted from his throat and for the first time after so many days, he laughed heartily, releasing all the melancholy and sorrow he had.

Sandaime Hokage shook his head at the window after seeing the scene through his crystal ball, before looking at Jiraiya, "He is amazing isn't he?"

The toad hermit chuckled, "Of course he is……and now that he's found something that he was looking for all along……he'll be even greater than before……"

_Naruto……you've found somewhere you belong……treasure it……and protect it……

* * *

_

_**A few hours later……**_

"Okay Naruto, I've done all that I can, that seal shall slowly fade away over the course of the next few hours or so. Remember, the more chakra you use, the faster it'll disappear, but then, there are the preliminaries right now, so we can't have you burning all the chakra now. Good luck with the matches."

Naruto slowly got up from the floor, before putting on his jumper and giving his perverted sensei a thumbs-up, "No worries, I'll be alright."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "Whatever gaki, just remember to be calm at all times. And hopefully, you can make out of the preliminaries in your current state."

Said blond merely shrugged, "I'll win and progress. Simple as that."

He flexed his muscles, stretching here and there before giving a firm nod, "I'm ready."

Jiraiya nodded, "All right, I need to gather more information on Orochimaru's actions, I'll see you in a month. Don't let me down."

"Keh, have I ever?"

The toad sannin laughed before ruffling his hair, "Alright then, ja ne." And with a simple shunshin, he disappeared.

Just then, the door was flung open, "Naru-kun, the first match has started! It's Sasuke against this really creepy guy!"

Naruto chuckled, "That teme better not lose, or else, all that effort Kakashi-san placed into sealing that mark on his shoulder would be wasted."

"Meh, don't care about him. But you, are you……okay?" Ino asked him worriedly.

He merely grinned, "I'm FINE. Geez, stop worrying yourself girl."

_Twitch……_

"I am your team captain after all, how can I give in to such a little physical pain?

_Twitch……twitch……_

"You worry too much Ino-chan."

_Twitch……twitch……twitch……_

"Now, come on……er……Ino…chan?"

"NARUTO!!!!!"

"UAAGGHHH!!!! I'M SORRYYYY!!!!"

* * *

_**With the preliminaries……**_

"Gah!" cried Sasuke as his opponent grabbed him by the throat, he could feel his chakra flowing out of his body.

Akado Yoroi laughed maniacally as he slowly sucked the life out of Sasuke, "Haha, not so tough are you now Uchiha?!"

Sakura frowned as she saw the jutsu used by Yoroi was the direct opposite of the basics of the Shosen no jutsu. It reverses the flow of chakra and uses the cohesion of chakra to suck out the opponent's chakra.

"Observant as ever Sakura-chan."

The pink haired genin gasped as she spun around, only to meet the strong arms of one Uzumaki Naruto, who immediately pulled her into an embrace.

"Naruto! You okay now?"

"Just peachy……" His eyes glanced ever so slightly at a blushing Ino, before he grinned, "Thank you for that love bite just now……"

Sakura raised an eyebrow as she saw that devious smile of his, "So……"

His smirk widened, "I have to return the favour, now don't I?"

The genin's eyes widened as she felt him lock her arms to the side, before giving her a hard kiss on the neck, before gently biting down on a specific spot, just enough to leave a mark.

She gasped, before pouting at his playful act, "Mo…Naruto!"

The blond smirked, "Now we're even."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his antics, "Very funny……"

Most seemed to miss this small interaction, for Uchiha Sasuke was taking a serious beating here. Yoroi was really letting him have it, punches, kicks, all unrelenting, and due to Sasuke's lack of chakra right now, ninjutsu is a no-no.

"Kuso!" Sasuke growled as he continued to dodge most of the attacks.

Yoroi had been given the order to injure the Uchiha as much as he can to test his original ability after surviving the cursed seal. If he loses, the order to kill is approved as well.

Kiba and Chouji were both extremely anxious, not wanting their teammate to just go down like that, "Sasuke! Get your ass off the floor and fight back!" roared Kiba.

_And what do you think I'm trying to do? _

He quickly ducked as Yoroi swiped at his head, his reflexes going into overdrive, and all of a sudden, he remembered the way Lee had totaled him before the exam.

_Right now……I guess it's my only bet……_

Sasuke parried the next attack, before roaring in rage and sending his legs out, kicking Yoroi right in the face, smashing him into the wall behind him. He prayed with all his might that Kakashi's seal worked and activated his Sharingan.

In an instant, he remembered the attack sequence, and for the first time in the fight, an arrogant smirk slowly developed on his face as he stared down his opponent.

Naruto sighed and grinned lazily, "Finally."

Those around him looked at him in confusion, whilst he merely crossed and watched, "Come on Sasuke. Finish him."

Yoroi snarled, "So you've got a few tricks under your sleeve, but that changes NOTHING!" And with that, he charged, his chakra output pushed to the max, intent on sucking Sasuke dry this time.

Strike after strike, punch after punch, Sasuke successfully dodged every single one, and just as Yoroi tried to recover from his string of hits, the Uchiha's Sharingan flashed to life.

_NOW!_

In one quick move, he disappeared, shocking everyone in the arena, including a certain spandex wearing boy with huge eyebrows, "That…that's my……"

One kick straight in the chin sent Yoroi upwards, a perfectly executed uppercut shattered his jaw, before Sasuke leapt up, like a shadow, gliding just behind Yoroi, finishing the Kage Buyo.

"Alright, from now on, it's all original!" Sasuke placed his left arm on Yoroi's back, and using the momentum, smashed his right leg into the torso of the other leaf genin. A loud gasp of pain was heard as Sasuke repeated the action, only this time, he flipped from under Yoroi to his side, driving his foot into Yoroi's abdomen, smashing him towards the ground.

Yet it wasn't over, to Yoroi's dismay, Sasuke followed up the move with a punch, dunking his fist right into his chest, leaving more than a few ribs broken. At this point, he was already coughing blood, and would like nothing more than to give up, yet, Sasuke wasn't giving him the chance.

"Mada mada! _(Not yet!)_" And with one final two hundred and seventy degree flip, he drove his left heel into Yoroi's torso, crushing him as his back met the ground, instantly rendering the poor genin unconscious. "Shishi Rendan! _(Lion Combo)_"

Sasuke himself landed quite gracefully on the ground, after skidding some ten metres on the ground. He slowly stood up, gasping for breath as the full fatigue of the move coursed through his body.

Gekkou Hayate, the referee of the preliminaries finished his check on Akado Yoroi and announced to a slightly shocked crowd, "Winner, Uchiha Sasuke."

"WHOOHOO! I knew you won't go down that easily!" cheered Kiba, whilst Chouji merely chuckled and gave a big smile.

Kakashi chuckled as Sasuke gave a loud sigh of relief, before closing his eyes, ready to fall to the ground. A well-timed shunshin by his sensei stopped him.

"Yare yare, that was quite a good move."

"Hn…"

"Well, time to check out your seal, let's go."

"But…but I want to stay and see the other matches."

"You know as well as I do that we need to make sure……" Kakashi eyed him closely, watching his every move.

Sasuke cursed, before staring at Naruto up there on the walkways, _Dobe……you better win……_

Slowly, he stood up and followed his sensei out. His hand unconsciously moved to the cursed seal, tracing the patterns that have been imprinted into his skin.

Gaara tilted his head slightly, before giving a slight 'hmph' "At least he might be of some challenge……"

"That move……so this is the power of Sharingan……" Lee muttered as he replayed the attack over and over in his head. "To think that you could memorize my move in that mere second, Sasuke-kun, you are truly a genius……"

Naruto chuckled, "This is getting interesting……"

His eyes roamed the room, before settling on the sand siblings, especially on Gaara, _What is your motive?_

The next match was already underway. Shino and Zaku, to Naruto, the outcome is obvious. Shino has always been a calm and collected guy, fighting a guy who only relies on one sort of fighting style has no threat whatsoever compared to Shino's quick thinking and planning. To be honest, Shino might be even smarter than Naruto, his IQ could be slightly lower than Shikamaru, but he never flaunts it.

His primary focus was on Gaara, for the Ichibi Jinchuuriki was staring at Naruto coldly in return, those eyes were filled with hatred, enveloping all those that dares to defy him.

Kankurou gulped as Gaara slowly began leaking killing intent, his head slightly tilted to the left. Temari too was getting nervous and quickly, she searched for the cause of Gaara's anger.

Instantly, she spotted the blond kid opposite of them, glaring at Gaara, and what's even more scary was the fact that he was totally unaffected by the killing intent. He was actually resisting Gaara's with his own.

The fight below was totally ignored. Gaara, because he doesn't care, and Naruto, because he knew that Shino would win. It's extremely unnerving to see two young man engaged in a death stare.

The killing intent slowly spread across the room and soon, most of the genins started to tremble. Even Hyuga Neji couldn't help but glance at the duo, both totally unaware of their surroundings, solely focusing on the other, trying to figure the other out.

Naruto was focusing most of his intent on Gaara whilst letting lose a little to those around him in order to ease their fear caused by Gaara, whereas the Ichibi jinchuuriki was forcing it out in every direction.

The Hokage seems nonchalant about this interaction, however the two other Jounin sensei couldn't help but gasp quietly. The killing intent they were using was enough to affect even a seasoned Jounin. What power……

All of a sudden, Naruto yelled out, "Shino!"

The bug-loving boy forced Zaku back and glanced up at Naruto, "Yeah?"

Naruto's eyes didn't leave Gaara, "Kick his ass."

Shino chuckled, before giving a shrug, "Already have."

Zaku roared, "What the hell do you think you're talking about you shithead! What…WHAT?!!!"

"In your anger, throughout our battle, you have failed to notice that I've planted bugs all over your body during our fight, and now……welcome to my parlour……" stated a calm Shino and with a ram seal, his chakra skyrocketed, dwarfing Zaku's easily, and as if on cue, all the kikaichu swarmed all over Zaku, eating away at his chakra supply.

"Winner, Aburame Shino."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly at the efficiency of Shino's onslaught, _those bugs could prove to be a problem……_

Naruto grinned and finally broke eye-contact with Gaara, holding back his killing intent, before rotating his neck once, "Hmmm, wonder who I'll be fighting……gah, stupid snake, still haven't recovered yet……"

"Next match, Temari vs. Tenten, can the fighters please come down……" coughed Hayate as he read the names off the electric board.

The matches all showed skill and tact so far, now, a fight between two kunoichis, who shall win?

Shikamaru yawned before mumbling, "Sigh……we're gonna lose……"

Hinata was surprised, "But, Shikamaru-kun, why do you say so?"

"Mendokuse, but then, take one look at their weapons and you can tell."

Fan vs. kunai. Fan is used by a Suna Kunoichi……most likely wind-elemental jutsus and long range attacks……kunai……short range attacks and Taijutsu……

Shikamaru's fast thinking never fails to amaze her and even from such small details, he could already predict the possible outcomes. _And to think he's such a lazy guy……_

Sakura and Ino were merely yawning in boredom at the simple attacks used by the two down on the floor. Tenten was trying her best, but it was obvious that her best was no where enough against someone who just so happens to be able to counter her attacks.

"It's over now little girl……the third star! Kamaitachi no jutsu! _(Wind Slicer technique)_" And with one heave of the metal fan, a huge gust of wind caught Tenten right on, chakra hardening and acting as blades, tearing at the weapons mistress.

Shikamaru shook his head, "Bad luck, that's all there is too it. That's the only downfall of specializing in only one area……"

And as the wind subsided, Tenten fell……hard onto the base of the fan, effectively knocking her unconscious. Her back must have suffered a serious injury, judging from the blood she coughed up, internal bleeding might have occurred.

"Tenten!" yelled Lee as he quickly went to prevent Temari from causing her more physical abuse.

Naruto sighed, "Pity, that move would have worked even to some extent with almost all of us, yet she had to get paired with that one……"

Neji gave a grunt, "That is her fate of being weak, and that is her destiny. There is no use trying to fight it. She lost because she had to."

Naruto eyed him skeptically, "Still haven't changed your pathetic views on life I see……"

Byakugan eyes flashed to life, "Don't think so highly of yourself Uzumaki……"

Cerulean met pupil-less white, "I send that right back at ya."

Maito Gai instantly dissolved the tension with a quick and simple, "Enough, you can show your desperate need to expose your youthfulness down their on the floor when it's your turn, of course, I shall support you and make sure you bloom to the fullest extent!"

That did the job, in a flash, both shinobis were looking at him with something close to disgust and fear. Yes you heard right, Hyuga Neji and Uzumaki Naruto fearing someone……

It was then that Kakashi and Sasuke came back to watch, "Ah, what have we missed? We're all fine and healthy here!"

"I wouldn't call you healthy if you keep reading those books……" Naruto deadpanned.

Kakashi ignored that comment and instead, looked at the electric board, "Yare, yare, this might be fun……Naruto-kun, surely you have other things to worry about than my well-being?"

Naruto's eyebrow twitched before following his gaze, only to have his jaw crash onto the ground, "You've…GOT……to be kidding me……"

"Haruno Sakura VS. Yamanaka Ino. Can the two contestants please come forward?"

Silence……then tension, then everyone backing away at least five metres from the two girls. Naruto slowly turned around to face them, only to find them both smiling so innocently……_This is bad news……_

"Ah, Sakura, good thing eh, finally get a chance to settle this……" chuckled Ino as she gave her arms a nice stretch, showing off her milky skin and her slim waist.

"Indeed Ino, this is what we've been waiting for, ne?" Sakura slowly put on her battle gloves, the muscles in her arms were lean and promised much pain if you dared to meet one of her punches.

Everyone gulped, even the Hokage, for everyone knew that you never, ever, EVER mess with a catfight……erhem……kunoichi battle……

Both gazed at Naruto lovingly, "Just sit back, relax and watch the show……"

Naruto nervously scratched the back of his head, "Er…girls……do take it easy……er……yeah……you don't have to kill each other……"

Little did the others know, the only time Sakura and Ino did this procedure, was when they were ready to fight to the death. Ironic that the last time they did that was in training……when Anko not-so-casually asked, _So, who does Naruto like more?_

Sakura and Ino both giggled, "Oh we won't. Just……break a couple of bones here and there……"

"Slice off a limb or so……"

"Crush her skull……"

"Rip off her face……"

"Tear her to bits……"

Everyone sweatdropped as the two girls slowly went down the list of the stuff that they would do to each other. So innocent……so sweet……so unbelievably deadly……

Naruto sighed, "Alright, alright, just get it over with."

Ino raised an eyebrow, "Oh we will……"

Sakura cracked her knuckles, "Oh yes we will……"

Hayate had to resist the extreme urge of wanting to slap himself on the forehead, "Alright, battle between Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino……Hajime!"

_Why does this keep happening to me?

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_**Sorry this was kinda short, but this holiday ain't turning out to be the most luxurious of all……quite the opposite actually. I sleep at 2 am, wake up at 6am. So I hope you guys can forgive me for this late update. I'll try and get the other updates in as soon as I can.**_

_**And lol, I think some of you saw this coming, kukukuku, this will be fun. Trust me. XD**_

_**Again, I apologize for the long wait. Hopefully, this chapter can temporarily entertain you guys. Enjoy! XD**_


	22. Rivalry and Friendship

_**A/N: And I'm back. Sorry for the long wait. I had an eye surgery and my holiday has pretty much ended early, therefore, I spent the last few days traveling like crazy, so I'm sure you guys can understand. **_

_**Last chap was mainly humour and I'm glad that most of you liked it. Alright, time for more fun now. Do enjoy this chap, for this will, without a doubt…be once again done over four to six different lounges in different countries. .**_

_**Oh yeah, all italics usually mean thoughts or flashbacks. And for the attacks, some are not direct translations, so excuse the awkward parts. :P**_

_**Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto, because if I did, NarutoSakuraIno would be a canon pairing by now. :P

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**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 22: Showdown

Blow for blow, punch for punch, kick for kick. It was just a usual fight. Between two kunoichi. Between two rivals. Between two best friends. Yeah right. Only someone who had no idea what genin kunoichi are would be unsurprised.

Most of the participants in this Chuunin Exam, are now trying to pick their jaws up from the floor, because the skill being demonstrated down there in the atrium is a bit out of their expectations. Alright, a _lot_.

See, it's just a punch, but it's a punch that is aimed so that it can instantly attack one of the five vital points on one's torso.

It's just a kick, yet it's a kick that could shatter a skull in a slice, clean and simple.

It's just a mere fire jutsu, one that melted the paint on the walls when it wasn't even fired at a spot five metres within it.

It's just a plain old earth jutsu, one that stood five metres tall and stood unyielding under the fiery flames.

Kankurou was quickly moving his gaze from the fight below him to his sister and back. _Some girl is actually more dangerous than sis……_

Temari and Tenten were totally shocked at the level of technique, strength and chakra manipulation displayed below. To think that two girls that were supposedly ones that only cared about their appearances, two girls that look like any ordinary girl walking on the street………

Teams seven and eight had an idea of their skill, but this was way beyond their imagination.

"Katon: Karyudan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Missile)_" A series of flame bullets erupted from Ino's mouth and headed straight for a certain pink-haired kunoichi.

Sakura quickly back flipped several times, before dodging to the right, sending her chakra to her right leg, "Rankyaku: Byakurai! _(Storm Legs: White Lightning)_" The horizontal chakra shockwave collided with the remaining bullets and a mini-explosion occurred.

Ino took advantage of the situation and launched another jutsu, "Katon: Hi Kemuri! _(Fire Element: Flame Smoke)_" This ninjutsu was one of Naruto's original ones, used to act both as a smoke bomb and as a weak fire jutsu to temporarily distract the opponent.

Sakura gasped slightly, before jumping out of the way, eyes searching for a possible water source. Her eyes finally rested on Chouji's water bottle that was made by Naruto in the woods, "Alright!"

She leapt up and to Chouji's utmost surprise, kicked the water bottle into the air, "Suiton! _(Water Element)_" The water droplets slowly congregated into a huge water ball in the air above them, and Sakura aimed her right foot at it, "Mizu Houdan! _(Water Cannon Ball)_"

The cohesive properties of water and the chakra flowing out of her tenketsu on her foot allowed the water ball to temporarily attach to her right leg, before she yelled out a war cry, forcing the chakra into the water ball, and sent it crashing at Ino.

This was a brilliant counter attack, not only did it completely remove the heated smoke, but it also forced Ino to dodge, allowing Sakura to once again continue the offensive assault.

Even Kurenai was astounded by the tact shown. "This……how……"

Sandaime Hokage chuckled, "My, my, Anko seems to have done a fine job with them."

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he witnessed a mere kunoichi use fire jutsu he has never even heard of _(Not that he would, seeing those were all 'invented' by Naruto)_, and the other demonstrating high skill levels in chakra control and taijutsu.

_How? How did they get this strong?_

Naruto, on the other hand, couldn't help but sigh, "I guess this is the best I can get……this is sorta easy……"

Kiba's jaw almost crashed through the floor, "_THIS_ is _easy_?!"

Naruto shrugged, "Yeah, well, you don't see them tearing each other apart right?"

"………"

"Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Hundreds of blades rained down on Sakura, successfully blocking off her escape route.

The blond sighed, "Spoke too soon……"

Gasps were heard all throughout the room as it doesn't seem like the pink-haired kunoichi would be able to escape this one.

Sakura bit her lips, before summoning chakra to her hands, "Shosen no jutsu! _(Magical Palms Technique)_"

Ino raised an eyebrow, _What are you going to come up with here Sakura?_

Said kunoichi clapped her hands together, before rotating them around in something that resembles a tai-chi stance, forming a circle with the right hand held back around her hip section, the left hand struck out, palm facing out.

Blue soothing chakra was being emitted from her hands, forming an aqua aura around her arms.

"Ninpo……_(Ninja Arts)_" The shuriken were getting ever so close now.

"Dodge or something!" yelled Chouji.

"Oi, Naruto! Aren't you gonna do something? She's gonna die!"

Naruto looked at him in the sort of way that tells you he's scrutinizing you, wondering if your brain is actually existent. "Kiba……relax. She ain't even close to dying."

Kiba grabbed him by the clothes, "How can you be so calm?!"

An eyebrow was raised, "Because I trust them?"

'What……" And before he could even say anything else, more jaws dropped.

"Danshi Tenshu! _(Heavenly Touches)_" Sakura took one step forward and her right hand captured the first shuriken, followed by the left catching another. The speed increased all of a sudden, and within ten seconds, she had all the shuriken in her hands.

It was an azure blur, where her hands were quick and neat, as though she was picking flowers off the air, not sharp pointy knife things that could possibly kill you if you miss.

The way she executed the move was more like a dance than anything, the gracefulness, the technique involved, the agility she proved she had, one could even say that was perfect.

Sakura halted for a short moment, before flinging all the shuriken back towards Ino, putting her on the defensive this time.

The blonde kunoichi took in a deep breath, "Ninpo: Dokugiri! _(Ninja Arts: Poison Mist)_" The force of the gust successfully deflected the shuriken and in just a moment, the whole arena below was filled with a dark purple gas.

"Doton:Ishi Saku no jutsu! _(Earth element: Rock barrage technique)_" The rock blasts tunneled through the mist, catching Ino off-guard, and what's more, it smashed certain holes in the wall behind Ino, allowing the wind from outside to successfully rid the room of the poisonous gas.

Right now, it's certain that Ino shall be going down Anko's path, seeing how her love for poison and _sharp_ ninja tools are clearly shown here. Sakura on the other hand, proved her quick thinking, nimble actions and excellent chakra control. Possibly a medic would suit her well.

No one dared make a sound. It still felt so unreal, the fight, their attitude in their 'job', the maturity they possess! It was as though any comment might ruin the moment, the standstill, the equality, the absolute tensing silence.

"Seems like you've been working hard too Sakura."

"Ah, I have you to thank for that."

"True, true."

"So……let's settle this."

"My thoughts exactly……"

And in a flash, they were at it again. Pure taijutsu attacks were aimed at each other, all struck to kill and cripple. Both seemed to know each other so well that their reactions seemed extremely quick. It was a flurry of moment, both showing speed and agility, and what's more, flexibility that is truly reserved for the females.

Even Shikamaru's eyes widened at some of the ways they chose to dodge or parry the attacks. _You've got to be kidding me……what are their legs made of? Rubber?_

Naruto watched the fight closely, his heart aching slightly, his mind wanted to focus on their techniques and try to format a new formation they might be able to use on missions, yet he couldn't help but remember the first time he met the two of them.

_Get her! _

_Kick her! _

_She's weird!_

_Yeah! Her forehead is sooooo big!_

_UGLY!_

Quiet, shy little Sakura-chan………getting bullied at the playground……

_Hahaha, hehehe, eh? _

_Hello! Do you want to play with me?_

_Let's go to the swings!_

_My name is Ino! But you can call me Ino-chan!_

Bold, friendly little Ino-chan……offering him his first chance at friendship.

Their smiles, so different, yet so similar. Now that he thought about it, the look in their eyes was identical whenever they stared at him. He didn't know what it was, but he always found courage and strength within them.

Was it love?

_Naruto-kun……arigato!_

_Naru-kun! Drop in sometime and let's play again!_

He winced as Sakura took a hard punch to the hips, whilst Ino was kicked in the arm. He wanted to shout, he wanted to yell, but he didn't, because he knew that they were no longer the same naïve girls as before.

Now they've grown up, and they can make their own decisions, and this, Naruto can tell, is one of their most important decisions. They're pouring their entire soul into this fight……for who and for what?

_For you Naruto-kun…..and for us! _

_For our dreams……for our future!_

He chuckled as he remembered their replies. Simple, yet deep. Short but sweet. Straight to the point. Their fighting style reflects their personality, and right now it's there for everyone to see, and he couldn't help but feel proud of them.

Sakura and Ino represents flowers, ready to blossom when the time comes, and to their joy, Naruto entered their life, and acted as the catalyst, for the little girls to 'bloom' into the teenagers they are today.

Kiba and the others, could not for the sake of their lives understand why in the world Sakura and Ino could still be smiling so gently during a fight that could cost them their lives.

The moves were lethal, yet both always managed to counter each other in the nick of time. Sakura giggled lightly as she remembered how Naruto took the first step in giving her courage……

_Sakura-chan! Why are you crying?_

_sniff Naruto-kun! Those…sniff those boys……sniff…they were picking on me again! sniff_

_What!!! I'll get them! Wait here!_

_Don't! sniff…last time…they…they beat you up so bad!_

_But!_

_sniff Stay with me……please……I feel so scared……_

And Naruto did just that. He guarded her at the playground, letting her cry her sorrows out, not wanting her to keep them bottled up. Soon she felt tired and fell asleep, and Naruto had piggy-backed her home quietly, careful not to wake her.

He knocked the door lightly, and was answered by Akiko, who was quite surprised. She wanted to invite him in and make him a nice hot meal seeing how she knew he didn't really eat well by himself.

Yet all he did was hand Sakura over to her and bid her good day. It was a few days later when Sakura saw Naruto. She gasped at the sight of him; he had one black ring around his eyes and several wounds on his limbs. And those were only the ones that she could see.

_What happened to you? _

_Ohayo Sakura-chan! What do you mean?_

_Those…those cuts……_

_Oh those, I……I er…fell off the stairs……_

Sakura chuckled as she remembered his expression as he gave that extremely cliché excuse. It was cute and extremely amusing, and she believed him.

_Oh, then please be careful next time will you?_

_Sure thing Sakura-chan! _

_Eh? What happened to Keigamaru? _

_Him? He er……fell off……stairs…yeah…he erm, fell off the stairs too._

_Really? You boys are clumsy……_

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at her naivety at that time, it was after this incident that Naruto started teaching her basic taijutsu to at least defend herself, or what he thought was taijutsu.

It was only when she grew older that she learnt from her mother, Naruto had challenged Keigamaru and his gang to a fight…alone. And after that, she realized that all Naruto ever did for her was to protect her……even when he said that he was leaving……

She could never describe her joy when he met him again, under those circumstances, and hearing him say that he shall never go……

"Doton: Doryudan! _(Earth Element: Earth Dragon Missile)_" yelled Sakura as she evaded yet another fire attack from Ino.

"Katon: Karyudan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Missile)_" was her reply as Ino sent the projectiles flying back towards her, but this time it was coated with a layer of white flames.

Sakura backflipped twice, before forming the seals, _Uma, Usagi, Ryu, Inu…..._

_I've grown……_

_Tora, Tori, Tora, Ohitsuji……_

_I'm not the crybaby I once was……_

_Uma, Ryu, Tora, Ryu……_

_I won't lose! Not after you and Ino came into my life! _

"Doton: Doryu Heki! _(Earth Element: Earth Dragon Encampment Wall)_" A miniature mountain instantly rose from the ground, easily blocking all the flamed projectiles and Ino's view of her.

Those that knew this jutsu was amazed. Sarutobi gave a nod, "Brilliant execution of this doton. Now, what will Ino do?"

Naruto's grin widened greatly as he saw this jutsu, _So…you've finally learnt it. _

Sakura saw his expression and beamed, "How do ya like that?"

Said blond laughed, "Love it……_and you_……"

Ino grumbled as she saw Sakura manage to deflect all her attacks and she too was surprised when Sakura used that last doton.

"Aww…now I gotta think of something else, party pooper." She had the audacity to pout in front of all these spectators and glare at Naruto, "Bias!"

Naruto blanched at her implications and scratched his head sheepishly, "Ah haha, gomen……"

Ino rolled her eyes, "Ke! She's not the only one training secretly! Take this!" In a flurry of hand signatures, ending with the Tora seal, "Katon: Karyu Endan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Flame Missile)_"

And to a flabbergasted crowd, Ino took in a deep breath, before golden flames erupted from her flawless mouth, incinerating the huge wall in front of her. She increased the chakra output and placed more power behind it; her feet channeling chakra into the ground, allowing her to stay rooted to the spot and not be pushed back by the force of the attack.

The flames turned a blinding white as their temperature and ferocity increased and within moments, the doryu heki that was summoned by Sakura was reduced to ashes.

Sakura sighed, "Now what did you do that for? We're both out of chakra now."

"Well I can't let you take all the spotlight now, can I?" replied Ino dryly.

Naruto gave a low whistle, "Nice…Ino-chan, you've finally gotten the control for that!"

Ino smirked, "That I have."

She took in the looks of approval and awe she got from the audience and that little wink from the Hokage, _everything that I've been through……is worth it._

_Naru-kun! I haven't seen you in days!_

……_Ino……I…can't play with you anymore……_

_What? Why?!_

…_Don't ask, I just can't. _

_B-but……_

_Goodbye. _

Those words surfaced in her mind as she remembered the first time she cried since she became an official child.

_WAIT! Naru-kun! WAIT!_

She had run after him, anxious to get him to at least explain his reason for leaving just like that. However, due to her agitated steps and her clouded mind, she tripped over a rock and landed on her left knee.

_Uaagghhhhh!_

_Ino! INO! Are you alright?_

He had immediately run back, his face filled with concern and fear. Naruto had quickly got her into a sitting position, careful not to let her left leg move around much. He instantly took out the handkerchief that she had given him and gently pressed it against the wound, earning a yelp from Ino.

_It's ok, just a scratched knee! _

……

She wanted to be angry, she wanted to push him away…... but she couldn't. She wanted to act hurt like she should but she just couldn't. Instincts grabbed her and in an instant, Ino had embraced Naruto tightly, crying her heart out whilst mumbling stuff like, "Please! Don't go!" or "Why are you doing this?" etc.

His face was etched deeply into her memory. It was one of pain, regret and sorrow and his words held such melancholy within them that her tears just wouldn't stop.

_Five year olds shouldn't look like this! _

_Five year olds shouldn't act this old!_

Those were the arguments she kept repeating to herself after Naruto left later on. His reply was confusing too, but she could tell that he cared deeply about her.

_I'm sorry Ino-chan……but I can't let people treat you badly because of me……_

He hummed a tune lightly and gently coaxed her to sleep, before he carried her bridal style, back to the Yamanaka flower shop. He rang the doorbell and left her sleeping with her back towards the wall beside the door.

Naruto quickly took off as he heard the familiar voice call out, "Who is it?"

Haruka opened the door, only to find her baby daughter snoozing on the porch, "Ino-chan! My, how…Ino?"

And she had woken up at that moment, eyes blurry, taking in her surroundings, before memories of the things that happened before hit her and up she jumped, her little voice yelling out, "Naru-kun! Naru-kun, where are you?!"

Haruka soon realized what happened and quickly dragged her back into the room, before asking her daughter for details of what actually happened. When Ino told her how Naruto looked sad and everything, she sighed, "Ino dear, Naruto wants you to be strong! He doesn't want you to be dependent on him……"

_Am I dependent? Am I weak?_

Her immediate reaction was to scream out in anger, unable to believe that Naruto would call her that. Luckily, a small piece of paper dropped out of her blouse pocket in that instant.

The words on there she will always remember, for they gave her hope.

_I'll be back……and when I am……you can yell at me all you want. _

A chibi Naruto was drawn at the bottom holding up his left hand with a peace sign.

Ino giggled as she remembered how flustered she was when she saw that, and how she swore to get her 'revenge'.

She now gazed at Naruto lovingly, that playful smirk present on her lips, as though hinting him of the thoughts that were currently running through her head.

Naruto tilted his head, "And they say I'm in luck, being on the same team as you two……Ino, did anyone ever tell you that smirk of yours is extremely dangerous?"

There it was, that pout again, and those puppy eyes, man, the great Uzumaki, losing to mere female tactics……the shame……

Hayate glanced between the two contestants, eyeing them each with approval. It has been a long time since he has refereed a match as interesting as this. Two kunoichi giving it their all and proving to be even stronger than some of the male shinobi.

Sabaku no Gaara seemed to twitch every now and then as he witnessed this battle unfold itself. He refuse to believe that females could have such power. _What have you done to make them so strong Uzumaki Naruto?_

Kankuro's jaw seemed to be glued to the ground as he remembered his first encounter with the girls. His crotch still had phantom pains and sweat flooded his head as he grimaced. _Why do I keep meeting this kinda girl in my life? _

Temari was quite jealous to be honest. She had thought that she would be the best kunoichi around in this exam, but now she has witnessed the strength within these two. _I need to start working harder it seems……_

Lee and Gai were babbling non-stop about the 'youthfulness' of Sakura and Ino, and Lee had said something that highly irritated all members of team six.

"I shall use my youth and prove in my battle that I am worthy of the great Sakura-san, who has showed her beauty like a peacock in the rising sun, shooting her rays of pride right into my heart!!!!!!!!"

Everyone stared at the two like they were a bunch of retarded fools.

Gai had the gal to reply to that, "Yes my youthful disciple! I shall help you in your conquest for this lovely lady! Yet we must always remember to follow our rules! That is very important!!"

Lee took out a notebook from his 'stylish' green spandex, "Ah I shall forever remember your words! Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gaaaai-sensei!"

"Leeeeee!!"

"Gaaaaaaaaai-sensei!"

"Leeeeeeeee!!"

"Gaaai-"

"WOULD YOU TWO SHUT THE HECK UP?!!!" roared Naruto as he just about had enough of this outrageous act.

Indeed, everyone thanked him for that. Gai however merely toned down his voice and did what he thought was a whisper, "My dear disciple, this person has no youthfulness whatsoever in his yelling! You must make sure never to follow his path!"

Lee continued writing stuff down, "Hai! Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Leeee!"  
"Gai-senseeeei!"

"Lee……"

"THAT'S IT! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, BUT YOU'RE GOING DOWN!!!" roared Naruto as he was even tempted to go Kyuubi on these two spandex wearing creeps. There was even a sun rising out of the waves that miraculously formed out of no where.

Before Gai and Lee even knew it, two huge blasts of killing intent instantly distorted their special 'genjutsu' and shocked them out of their hugging reverie.

"THANK YOU!" huffed Naruto.

Surprisingly, it was Gaara who answered quietly, "You're welcome."

Kurenai, the renowned Genjutsu mistress has yet to find a way to dispel this utterly irritating 'genjutsu', yet two rookie genins just beat her to it. _The shame…..._

Sakura and Ino's twitching were almost to the point where people might have mistaken them for convulsing. "WOULD YOU SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET US FINISH THIS?!" yelled the two girls as they fully unleashed their most horrible genjutsu ever, the demonic inner duo!!!

Instant silence befell upon the arena, with everyone zipping their mouths, except Gaara of course, who was a little amused at their reactions, and Naruto who immediately saluted, "Yes mdm!"

Sakura took in a deep breath, muttering about nutters, before summoning all the chakra she had left onto her right fist. "Once and for all……"

Ino did the exact same thing, with memories of her friendship with Sakura flashing through her mind, the chakra aura flared to life on her fist and as she held it before her chest, ready in position.

"Sakura……you've really grown……" _Hello, my name is Ino…and you are?_

"……We all have……" _I…my name is Sakura……I er……can I be your friend?_

"Now……shall we put an end to all of this?" _……Do you…know Naruto?_

"………Yes……let's……" _I…I……yes……he was my first friend……_

Ino locked her gaze with Sakura, focusing solely on her, not wanting to waste a single bit of her chakra. _I was his first friend……_

Sakura's determined look was set in place, her muscles slowly getting used to the rhythm of the chakra flowing through them, ready to release it all at once to get the highest possible damage. _……Eh?_

The atmosphere was tense, everyone's eyes were following their every move, their breathing pace, the sweat on their faces……

_Sakura……I want to be your friend too……_

Ino licked her lips once, her little habit every time she got into a situation like this one.

_Really Ino? That's great! Now we can share our fun until Naruto-kun comes back!_

Sakura narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the opponent for any sudden move.

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed, he knew this was coming and he knew what was going to happen. _Uh oh……_

It was as though they read his thoughts, for at that moment, both charged towards each other, right fists brimmed with chakra, ready for the strike.

Yearning to know who's the stronger, hungering for the chance to prove themselves, they struck!

Sakura's fist lodged itself firmly in Ino's cheek, her fist remembering to give it an extra twist just to increase the pain, whereas Ino opted for a straight hook, placing all her chakra into a one hit smash.

The impact of the attacks shook the ground as they met, and to everyone's utter shock, both fell back, each with injuries on their faces, landing roughly back on the floor, mouth coughing up blood as the pain coursed through their veins……

It was as though time slowed down. Their backs arced slightly, before landing flat on the ground. Their eyes were closed, their breathing was relaxed.

It was over. This fight……between two friends……was over.

Hayate coughed a little, shaking the spectators out of their reverie, "Both contestants are unable to continue. According to the rules of the Chuunin exams, this match is deemed a draw. Both contestants have failed this part of the exam, and is unable to progress."

Cries of disbelief and anger rang through the air.

"What do you mean they fail?! They fought harder than any one of us!"

"They showed so much skill! And maturity! How is it that they fail?!"

"This is ridiculous! I say they both pass!"

Just then, the Hokage spoke up, "Rules are rules, and we must follow them. This situation applies to the real world. If it were two enemies fighting, and both lost their consciousness, no one is the winner, for they could easily be killed by even a child. Now stop the murmuring and allow the exam to continue, or you shall be disqualified!"

Those words held wisdom and a harsh truth within them, and even though most still wanted to rebut, they couldn't, so they did the next best thing. They looked at Naruto, wanting to see his reaction.

To say they were shocked would be an understatement. Naruto was shaking his head, sighing, "You're both just…sigh……"

He leapt off the handrails and into the arena, landing gracefully and with a quick kage bunshin, he got the two girls back up to the sides, where he placed them gently against a wall.

"A tie…a draw……hahaha, these two are gonna freak out when they wake up."

Shikamaru looked confused, "Naruto, you aren't gonna argue?"

Naruto shrugged, "Win or lose, it all means very little in the end. If you put the effort in, you will get the result."

Sarutobi gave a nod of approval at those words and so, the small outburst quietly calmed down.

Hayate then coughed and watched the electric board as it started once again. The names were selected randomly and soon, it appeared in a flash, open to all eyes.

"Can Nara Shikamaru and Tsuchi Kin come down to the stands please?"

"Mendokuse……" yawned the lazy genius as he slowly made his way down to the arena, showing little to no zest in his upcoming fight.

Kin smirked, "This guy would be an easy kill. Watch me."

Dosu rolled his eyes, "Do not underestimate him."

"Hmph."

Hayate looked at the two contestants and just as he was about to announce the two to begin the fight, two loud yawns can be heard.

The examiner coughed at this untimely interruption and searched for the 'culprits'. Sakura and Ino have woken up after Naruto sent some of his chakra into their nervous systems to give them a 'boost' in their recovery.

The two girls looked at each other, saw the injuries on their cheeks, and glared at Naruto, before demanding, "Who won?!"

Naruto merely chuckled before replying gently, "It was a draw……none of you passed."

Silence……

_5………_

"Oh……draw huh……looks like we're still on the same level……"

"Yeah……so……"

Naruto stood there amused, waiting for it.

_4……_

"We've both worked hard didn't we?"

"It's a good result……"

_3……_

"Ah…so we I guess……"

"Well……"

_2……_

"Say……"

"Uh huh……"

_1……_

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS! I'M NOT STANDING FOR IT!"

"HELL NO! WHAT A WASTE OF TIME THEN!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Girls…would you calm down?"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! PREPOSTEROUS!"

"ALL MY PLANS, GONE!"

"Girls……"

"OUTRAGEOUS!!!"

"TOTALLY!!!"

"Girls………"

"I DON'T CARE, I WON AND YOU KNOW THAT INO!"

"WHATEVER SAKURA, I'M THE WINNER FAIR AND SQUARE!"

"Giiiirrrrrrlllllssssss……"

"WHAT?!" roared both at the same time.

"Why are you fighting over this?"

"Because! We need to know who gets a chance at you first!"

"Yeah! Why else?! We've wanted to use this chance to prove that either one of us should be the first!"

Naruto blinked, "First at……"

Ino grinned deviously, "You should know what we're talking about……don't you Naru-kun."

Sakura followed up, "That's right, and seeing how the result's out and can't be changed……we'll just have to share you between us."

Naruto deadpanned, "I don't even get a say in this?"

"Nope!"

"Like not even one?"

"Nope!"

"Can I at least……"

"Nope!"

"But…"

"Nope!"

Said blond bashed his head against the wall, "I hate my life……"

Sakura and Ino instantly pulled him back in case he decided to commit suicide, "Now, now, don't be so rough to yourself! We don't want you dying now of all times right Sakura?"

"Yeah, besides, you've promised to be there for us when we need you. Well, we need you now." The Cheshire grins seemed totally demonic to him and he resigned himself to his fate. Women shall be the death of him.

And down below in the arena, Hayate was trying to completely forget the whole conversation that he heard and ignore the laughter that was echoing through the arena. Even the Hokage was chuckling.

"Erhem…erhem……may I have your attention please……"

"SOMEBODY SAVE MEHHHHH!!!!!!" yelled Naruto as he was dragged off by the two girls to 'accompany' them to the medic centre for the usual checkup.

Kiba and the others roared with laughter, "HAHAHAHA! WHIPPED!"

"Cough, cough, now, may I……"

"OUCH! HEY! STOP DRAGGING MY BY MY EARS!"

The laughter only increased and this time, the spandex duo joined in, "Oh the youthfulness of such a gesture……"

"Erhem, can I please……"

"WOULD YOU STOP THAT?!"

Hayate sighed, before staring up at the ceiling, _What did I do to deserve this fate?_

Little did he know, just down the corridors, another blond was just asking himself the same question.

_You've GOT to be kidding me………

* * *

_

_**Lol, I finally got this out, though the ending was kinda fun to write. Now people, I'll be updating more frequently seeing how my matters are mostly finished. Thank you for your patient waits, I am officially back on XD**_

_**Oh and do comment on this chap, I figured this was pretty much a chapter most were waiting for. I hope it was good enough. **_

_**Now, have you enjoyed it? Coz I know I have. :P**_


	23. Interlude

_**A/N: Oh my god, I'm finally back. DDDX**_

_**This period was INSANE!!! Sleeping at 2, waking up at 6, and a whole day of busy stuff. Bah, I'm fully comprehending the meaning of life sux right now. :P**_

_**But yeah, I apologize for the wait…again. **_

_**I had a legitimate excuse this time! My arm was **_**sore**_** after tons and tons of shotput, javelin and discus at the athletics. Well, I won a medal in each so it wasn't all for naught. (No they weren't golds. No need to laugh at me.) **_

_**So! I've got this idea down for quite some time and now I finally find myself sitting before the computer and typing this out. **_

_**And those who think that I'm following the original plot too closely…well, think again. :D**_

_**Disclaimer: Too tired to dream the next chapter of Naruto manga. Too exhausted to plan the next episode of Naruto Shippuden. Sigh…oh wait, I don't own them. Funny eh?

* * *

**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 23: Interlude

Scowl.

"Hmmm, that feels sooooo good!" moaned Ino.

Frown.

"Ahhh, harder…yes, yes……" groaned Sakura.

Twitch.

"Right there! Don't stop!" chorused the two.

"Are you having fun doing this?!" roared Naruto as he stopped the back massage he and his kage bunshins were currently working on for the two 'ladies'.

He knew they were going to be cheeky and all, but this takes the cake. Honestly……ok, so they were extremely sensual…but still this type of thing cannot happen again……well they seemed to enjoy it……

_HELL NO!_

"Damn right……" muttered Naruto under his breath, quite oblivious to the pouts sent his way.

"Aww, Naru-kun! You've only been here with us for ten minutes! Relax!" yawned Ino as she stretched once again. This time, she felt much better, no doubt due to Naruto's special chakra therapy slash massage that he provided so _kindly_.

Sakura hopped up from the bed and gave a feel test movements, until she was confident that the strain on her back muscles were erased. "Mo, Naruto! Why did you stop then? I was getting all comfy……"

There it was, puppy eyes, could they not have mercy on him for just a few moments? Didn't they know that his match could come out any time?

Ino seemed to know what he was thinking and giggled, "Don't worry. Shikamaru's one lazy bum. His match is gonna take _aaages_."

"If that's all you're basing your theory on, I fear for my sanity Ino-chan." Deadpanned Naruto.

"Ouch, I'm hurt. Give me a chest massage?" grinned Ino evilly.

"Uh huh, you do realize that ain't gonna happen for a long, long time, right?"

"Hmm? You say something?"

Kami, it was hopeless. Ino loved to flirt……with him……only……

Good or bad, depends on the person involved.

Naruto was deciding it to go for 'bad', but then, she was just too cute to resist. And then there was Sakura.

"This hickey really sticks out……" muttered Sakura.

Naruto spun around in a second, "This WHAT?!"

She acted nonchalant, "Nothing, just mentioning how I now have a love-bite to show off."

_It was a bad idea to have made these two friends……_

He rolled his eyes, "Are you two having fun with this?"

"Why yes! Surely you are too Naru-kun." Her eyelids fluttered ever so beautifully, her voice was sweet, too sweet. You could easily tell that her ego was rising by the minute.

"Not to burst your bubble or anything, but does the fact that I _can_ do those absolutely, supremely, unbelievably _relaxing_ massages ring a bell?" Naruto's smirk was coming back, "And the fact that I do dislike people with a bit too much arrogance……"

"That's blackmail!" cried Sakura.

"Play fair!"

"Whatever, now stop the whining and let's go back to the arena." He quickly turned his head away to prevent his look of utter relief be discovered. _If that didn't work, I would have lost all ammo against them……

* * *

_

_**Elsewhere……**_

In the deep, dark caverns that were their current hideout, a quiet voice spoke up, "I've followed your orders and forfeited the preliminaries Orochimaru-sama. What will our next moves be?"

A familiar hissing noise was heard, before a cold raspy voice spoke up, "What is the condition of the Uchiha?"

Yakushi Kabuto fidgeted slightly, "He seems to be fine after Jiraiya-sama forced another seal upon the Heaven seal. No pain or strain whatsoever."

"Hmph, that fool has messed up my plans long enough. Prepare the men, increase the intensity of their training. We must not fail this time. Am I clear Kabuto?"

The white-haired nin adjusted his glasses, "Crystal." And with a 'pop', he disappeared.

* * *

_**Back in Konoha……**_

"Wow, Shikamaru actually tried, amazing……"

"Yeah, never would have thought he would move his pinky that much……"

"That was some motivation! He actually used his limbs in combat!"

"Are my eyes deceiving me?"

"Ah shut up, it's troublesome enough……" The lazy Nara boy mounted the steps back onto the second floor. The maneuver he pulled with his shadow jutsu was extremely tricky and more than a tad bit cunning. Chouji and the others knew he was smart on a whole new level, even more so than Naruto, who of course, pretends to be a dumbass all the time, but that's beside the point.

Who knew that getting your opponent to lose was so easy? Trap her shadow, bend backwards, say random stuff to make her think you're crazy, bam, her head hits the wall, you walk away the winner……

"Like……BRILLIANT. Dude, how do you come up with this kinda stuff?" asked an extremely curious Kiba. Maybe if he got some tips, her sister won't boss him around that much.

Shikamaru sighed, stared at him for awhile, looked up at the ceiling, sighed again, and replied, "Man……what a drag……"

Eyes twitching ever so _slightly_, Kiba swallowed the urge to bash him on the head, "Yeah, drag on brainy boy."

Before the argument could continue, a small 'pop' sound appeared behind the Nara and enveloped him in a good-natured hug, "I knew you had it in you Shikamaru! Good job!"

Said Nara yawned and shrugged, "Well, there seems to be this bad streak I'm having……all my opponents were girls……and men aren't supposed to hurt girls……"

One Yamanaka Ino instantly appeared in his face, "Say that again! Huh! Say that again and I'll-"

Sakura quickly got behind her, "Now, now Ino, no need to get agitated." Shikamaru did seem quite tired and after a match, what he deserved most was a quiet rest.

Shino and Hinata both congratulated him and chuckled at his sighs of laziness. He will never change, and they liked him that way. He was their teammate and an extremely loyal one at that. His quick thinking on his feet and his ability to counter not only the plans in their enemies minds, but to able to predict their possible threats and psychological moves, Nara Shikamaru has without a doubt proved his ability in being a strategist.

And to say Sasuke was pissed was an understatement. He had always looked down on others, and now he found out that even someone like Shikamaru had such astounding abilities, just how were they training? Just how strong were they?

He suddenly realized his weakness. He was good at combat, able to react quickly in a life-threatening situation, had a good mathematical mind and all the others, but he was never the best in any department.

And the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Naruto beat him, that he could at least live with, given the argument that he was trained with better senseis. However, people like Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji being on the same level as him, he cannot accept.

He believed that he had trained harder than any of them, placed more time into chakra control, jutsu practice, taijutsu training, stamina improvement and all the other countless exercises he did to grow stronger. Yet they were _still_ right on his tail! What is it that made them so strong?!

How could shy, kind Chouji dare take on one as powerful as Orochimaru, the devil of the Sannin?

How could Kiba be swallowed by a snake yet still think of ways to get out?

How could Shikamaru always keep his cool and analyze a situation faster and clearer that he could ever achieve?

_Weakling……Your hatred is pathetic……_

_Yesssss, you need more hatred………_

Those dreaded voices in his head, the physical effects might have disappeared, but the mental ones sure haven't, and he was determined to counter them by himself. If he couldn't even win this small battle, what hope did he have in winning the 'war'?

Kakashi seemed to notice Sasuke's restlessness and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Take it easy. I shall personally train you right after the preliminaries. You now have stronger enemies coming for you, and in your current state, you're hopeless."

He inwardly chuckled at the outraged expression Sasuke was showing at the moment. "But relax, we'll have time. What you lack is more than determination, and what you need is definitely not hatred."

Hayate gave a few small coughs, before announcing once again, "Can Sabaku no Gaara and Kinuta Dosu please come down to the arena please?"

A quick hush fell over the genins as Dosu slowly ambled down the stairs. Gaara merely chose a easier route and did something that seemed like a Suna Shunshin, what a with a cocoon of sand enveloping him and transporting him onto the floor below him in an instant.

"Sabaku no Gaara……this might be a tad more interesting." Mumbled Naruto as he eyed the Suna Genin with a strange curiosity.

Hinata however, instantly remembered the harsh ways of Gaara, the way he _destroyed_ the enemy, utterly wiping their existence from this world. He wasn't fighting for victory, he didn't seem to be. No, it was more, something way more serious…...

Temari and Kankuro smirked as they saw the nonchalant look Dosu was currently showing right now. The pure stupidity of Gaara's opponents never failed to amuse them. To think that the very idea of winning could even cross their heads when fighting Gaara.

Pathetic.

On the other hand, Ino and Sakura couldn't seem to care less about what was going to happen to this Dosu character. They were busy chatting to Kiba and Chouji, asking about the fight that Team seven had with this…'oto' trio.

The conclusion they got was quite surprising, seeing how each of them had their very own type of sound manipulating device, allowing them to make full use of their weapons. So technically, their strongest area was ninjutsu.

Kiba however mentioned that none of the three seemed to be adverse in taijutsu and one of the main reasons he pulled through was that he fully utilized his Tsuga and other variations of his clan's taijutsu and clashed right on with their weapons.

It was more than successful as they three escaped faster than the wind.

"So basically, they think they can win by just using their strengths?" Sakura piped up after awhile.

Kiba nodded, "Pretty much. Genjutsu would be the strong point for the girl, as we have seen. That Zaku guy was probably ninjutsu, and this one, well, probably a mixture of both, but I reckon it'll be genjutsu, seeing how I did feel extremely dizzy at one point when the sound waves were just crashing into my ear."

Ino frowned, "You okay? Your senses of hearing are better than us."

Said Inuzuka grinned, "I'm fine, hey, it's starting, let's just watch and see. I hope the Gaara guy creams him."

Hayate coughed a few more times, before signaling for them to begin, "Hajime!"

Dosu instantly charged at the enemy, his right arm raised, chakra surging through his "Melody Arm", ready to amplify the sound waves by at least ten times and knock out this Sand dude in one hit. No point dragging it out, or so he thought.

Gaara seemed to ignore him as he merely stood there and awaited his attack. The bored expression on his face was enough to show his disdain at the sound genin.

"Oh? Acting high-and-mighty now are we?! Well take THIS!" And in one swift move, Dosu smashed his fist towards Gaara's face, grinning on the inside at what an easy victory this was.

Unfortunately for him, things turned out totally different from what he expected. A surge of sand erupted from his gourd and placed itself between the punch and Gaara. Before his very eyes, his attack was rendered useless, as all it did was blow the sand apart, not even inflicting a tiny bit of injury on said Sand Genin.

Everyone gasped at this change in amazement.

"How did he……?"  
"What the hell just happened……"

Dosu however, thought that it was a mere defense mechanism and disregarded the fact that his first attack failed. "Hmph, you've got _some_ skill then, but can you take this?"

Gaara ignored his snide remarks and continued staring at him coldly, whilst his sand did all the work and blocked every single attack that was sent at him, rendering Dosu completely harmless.

After a few more minutes, said Sound nin was finally coming to grabs with the current situation. This sand……nullified any echoes that were supposed to be created by the Melody Arm. The sand cocoon that surrounded Gaara whenever he was attacked acted as an anechoic layer, drowning the genjutsu that was carefully hidden within his jutsu.

Sweat poured down his cheeks by the second, his mind thinking vigorously, trying to find a way of escape, because he knew, that if he just gave up, Orochimaru would not be so forgiving like the time that they failed the mission to assassinate Sasuke.

As much as he hated Orochimaru, who made a fool of him in his opinion, the power Dosu had was still not enough to get revenge and he figured that by killing Sasuke, he could somewhat show Orochimaru that he was not someone to be messed with as well.

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the maneuvers of Gaara's sand, trying to figure out the reason for which by using merely his conscious, the sand genin was able to will the sand to protect him in a split second. No, make that a millisecond. The reaction speed shown was incredible and this did all the more to increase his suspicion of Gaara's true identity.

Kankuro saw his frown and thought that this brat was finally scared. So, his annoying smirk came back, and with a big strut, he went over to Naruto's side, and began the speech he had prepared a while ago, "He won't be able to even touch Gaara. Nobody could."

And to his surprise, Naruto snorted, "Absolute defense huh?"

Kankuro quickly reigned in his shock and elaborated, "Yes, the chakra emitted from the sand is able to detect any hostile presence aimed for Gaara and could defend him against any physical attacks."

Naruto thought for awhile, "It's simple enough, this sound guy can't win, period. But I do wonder how his absolute defense would fare against my Kaen Furea……"

And just as he finished the sentence, gasps of horror came from the genin as Dosu got ripped into pieces just before their very eyes.

While Naruto and Kankuro were having their conversation, Gaara had finally gotten bored and decided to end this. His sand went on the offense and within seconds, surrounded Dosu.

Fear and terror splashed through him in waves as he was given a split second to yell "I give up!" Yet he didn't. His pride wouldn't let him. And so all he saw before his life ended, were Gaara's cold eyes, and a quiet whisper, "Enjoy…mother……"

The sand trapped him in a tight cocoon, before exploding into bits of flesh and blood, raining upon Gaara's head, only to be stopped by another burst of sand that shielded his head from the disgusting bits of filth that might land on him.

Baki sighed at Gaara's intention of exhibiting his…_love_ for blood so early into the exams. It might prove difficult for them later on. The sheer power he showed, the total merciless sentence he gave. Unbelievable for a genin.

Kurenai closed her eyes at this act, because deep within her, she felt that children like him should not be exposed to violence this early in their life, and even if they are……never should they be enjoying it.

Sasuke looked positively murderous and more than a bit afraid that another genin from a different village could attempt something as cruel as this. Was this what he lacked? Was this why he couldn't win Itachi? Was his hate truly not enough?!

Sakura and Ino grimaced as this act brought back unpleasant memories from that particular B rank mission they were on and the way Gaara executed this Sound genin just seemed so vile, so foul, so absolutely evil……

No one spoke for a long time, until Gaara willed his sand back into his gourd, his gaze stony like before, and then stared at Hayate.

The referee shook his head slightly, before muttering the words, "Winner……Sabaku no Gaara."

Temari and Kankuro both acted as though this was a common sight, but the konoha nin couldn't help but feel fear……even Neji had never seen someone with this much power and abusing it just like that.

It was just another murder, it was just another kill.

So why did it feel so daunting? Why did it feel so harsh?

"Because he did it right here, in front of all the examiners, in front of all of us, to prove that he can." Was Naruto's reply to their unspoken question.

Not once did his eyes leave Gaara, and both were engaged in a heated glaring session, where both were trying to find out what the other was thinking, and the tension in the atmosphere became almost unbearable to a certain point.

"What do you mean Uzumaki?" asked Gaara in the deathly silence, as though he dared Naruto to make any more comments about his ways of killing.

"You know as well as I do that kill was uncalled for."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

Pale green challenged sky blue. Just a stare, no killing intent, no crazed expressions, no sudden movement.

And all Naruto did, was reply in a soft yet determined tone, "I'll make you pay."

They weren't dumb people. Gaara knew exactly what Naruto meant by making him pay. The countless lives he took before, innocent or not, he was already a trained killer, and though he couldn't care less about his past, he didn't like Uzumaki's tone at all. He was a Jinchuuriki, born to be hated by others, born to be a weapon of destruction. What does this blond bastard know?

They broke their glare and eventually, Gaara reappeared back on his place up on the side. Temari couldn't help but ask quietly, "A-are you okay?"

A silent 'hmph' was all he got, but that was enough. At least he replied. Somewhat.

The next match was soon announced and to be completely honest, it was somewhat hilarious.

"Will Inuzuka Kiba and Sabaku no Kankuro please come down please?"

The moment Kiba leapt down, his first remark was to mock Kankuro, "Yosh! Akamaru, we've got the easy pick, you just look at his make-up and you know……"

"IT'S FACE PAINT ASSHOLE!"

"Pft, whatever. You probably have a doll that you keep to your own entertainment."

"WHY YOU?!"

Kiba's lips twitched slightly, "Could it be……that you _actually_ have a doll……like on you right now?"

Silence……then a loud poof of smoke, "I'll show you that Karasu isn't one to be messed with!" Not one used to being mocked, Kankuro had just about enough of the snide remarks he had received since the _moment_ he stepped into Konohagakure. First those two insanely strong girls, then that blond haired dude, and now this _mutt-loving_ PUNK?! HELL NO!

Kiba silently cheered, his plan was working fine. Step one, infuriate the dumbass. Step two, kick his ass. Step three, bask in the glory. Simple and straightforward, the true Inuzuka style.

"Let's rock! Tsuga!" In a flash, he was charging at the puppet that Kankuro brandished, and to his slight surprise, they were just about equal in strength.

"How do ya like that now mutt?!" roared Kankuro, completely filled with glee that he had put this brat right back in his place.

But of course, his joy was momentarily cut short, when Akamaru appeared from the side and launched another Tsuga at Karasu, bashing it out of the way.

"HA! I do love that useless doll, makes it all the more easier to beat you up! TESSOU! _(Iron claws)_" His fingernails lengthened and the carbon atoms congregated within them, forming bonds with each other quickly into the shape of a diamond, strengthening the solidity of his 'claws', before he charged into attack once again.

Kankuro was never a good fighter in terms of taijutsu, and he now decided that he really, _really_ disliked close-range battles. It was pretty obvious who was in control at the moment, Kankuro could only dodge every now and then, and use Karasu to defend for a few blows, but the speed which Kiba was demonstrating was way out of his expectations.

He had been lulled into a sense of false security, what with Kiba constantly jeering at him and mocking him, his anger got the better of him, and now he deeply regretted it. His coordination improved once he set his mind back on track and looked closely at Kiba's attacks, trying hard to discover some form of trend within them.

But unfortunately, it was not to be so, as Kiba suddenly stopped the onslaught and flung a pill to that dog, before swallowing one for himself, "Alright! Time to paaarty!!! Akamaru! Joujin Bunshin! _(Beast Man transformation)_"

Before his very eyes, two Kibas now appeared, both snarling at him, and he couldn't help but gulp. _What is it with Konoha and crazy people?_

"Let's take this up a notch! Tessou: Tatsumaki! _(Iron Claws: Dragon Coil)_" Both Kibas spun into that familiar black whirlwind, yet this time, Kankuro knew that the force behind the strike was far more powerful than that Tsuga move he kept using.

His fists clenched, Karasu might not be able to withstand the attack and the last thing he needed was for Karasu to be destroyed before the inva……

Time was running out, and he did the first thing that came in mind. His fingers flicked and retracted ever so quickly as five poisonous kunai shot at the two whirlwinds.

Kiba cursed as he could not risk deflecting them, just in case they might ruin any one of his senses upon touch. Kankuro held nothing back and fired his projectiles, one after another, laying down traps that proved all the more difficult for Kiba to move around in.

And as Akamaru rushed in to get a quick hit of Karasu, the poor canine was instantly caught in a bind by Karasu, before its mechanical arms stretched out and began crushing it.

"Akamaru!" roared Kiba as he tried to save it, however, Kankuro yelled, "Give up, or the dog dies!"

It seemed to be an easy decision by most outsiders, however, to Kiba, it was a hard one. He could easily win Kankuro in a one on one battle, but now that he had Akamaru hostage.

Akamaru started barking and growled, as though telling Kiba to not concur with his request. It was doing its best to hold its henge-d form, but everyone could see it was clearly in deep pain. However, the fact that even now, his loyal companion was telling him to kick this guy's ass, at the danger of its own life.

There was nothing more to hesitate, he was an Inuzuka, and that might be just the thing that this particular Suna genin forgot.

In an instant, he got down on all forms, chakra surging through his body as he muttered the words, "Ninpo: Shikyaku no jutsu! _(Ninja arts: Four Legs technique)_"

Kankuro had counted on Kiba's love for the dog and quickly seized the opportunity to force the Inuzuka to surrender. Because to be honest, if this went on, he might very well lose. It was only pure luck that had given him the chance to trap this canine……it was only now that he realized how much harder he had to work.

But nothing was more shocking when Kiba was in front of him all of a sudden, smashing his face in with a punch harder than that of even steel, sending him flying back into the wall, temporarily losing the chakra lines he had been controlling Karasu with.

The moment Akamaru felt the puppet loosen its hold, it instantly forced itself away from it and ran towards Kiba. Though hurt, he had been trained to withstand this, he was the pup given to Inuzuka Kiba, and he shall never fail his master!

Kiba seemed to know what he was thinking when that cocky grin reappeared on his face, "Alright Akamaru! Let's finish this! Joujin taijutsu Ougi! _(Beast Man Taijutsu Master Arts)_"

They once again spun into two deadly whirlwinds, side by side, not giving the enemy any place to dodge, before they clashed right into Kankuro, sending the sand puppeteer further into the wall, "GATSUGA!!! _(Fang with Fang)_"

Kankuro could do nothing but fall to the ground as the last of his strength left him. He had severely underestimated this 'puny' Konoha nins and now he had paid the price. He was defeated, utterly defeated……

With a few more spins, the duo spun to a stop as they waited cautiously, just in case Kankuro had the ability to stand up.

Hayate slowly moved to check the fallen Suna genin, and with a cough, gave the verdict of the match, "Winner, Inuzuka Kiba."

"AWESOME!"

"YOU GO KIBA!"

"AKAMARU! GOOD JOB!"

Cheers of joy instantly lit up the arena as all of his friends congratulated him on his victory. Ino petted Akamaru whilst Sakura gave him a quick check-up, making the pup very happy indeed.

Kiba on the other hand was being surrounded in a group hug, where even one as lazy as Shikamaru made an effort to comment on his win.

Baki was not pleased. Not once did he think that Kankuro would lose, but really, it was just a bad match-up. Kiba was a close-range fighter, whilst Kankuro was more suited for medium-range battles. They had the disadvantage and Konoha exploited it.

Gaara seemed to be slightly understanding as he used his sand to drag and unconscious Kankuro to the medics, where he made sure his older brother was in safe hands.

He was slightly annoyed that Kankuro lost, but he was still his brother, and this gave him all the more reason to have a face-off with one Uzumaki Naruto, and that excited him to no end.

Temari seemed shocked that her brother lost. That Kiba kid didn't strike her as such a formidable opponent, but she could sympathize, seeing how Kankuro had allowed himself to be agitated and he had dared underestimate someone, even if that someone was from Konoha.

The matches continued, next up with Akimichi Chouji against Tsurugi Misumi. This fight was quite quick to be honest, for it turned out that Misumi had the ability to dislocate his joints painlessly and using chakra, he could control the flexibility of his flesh and use it to wire them around his enemy, breaking their bones, including their neck.

Needless to say, Chouji was caught due to his considerable bulk, and just as Misumi thought he had won, the Akimichi once again proved their unique taijutsu.

"Ninpo: Baika no jutsu! _(Ninja arts: Enlargement technique)_" His torso increased to thrice its original size, easily loosening the holds Misumi had on him, before he finished him off with a Nikudan Sensha _(Meat Tank)_.

It appeared that all of Team seven shall safely move on to the finals. And Naruto couldn't help but feel happy for his friends. He knew just how hard Kiba and Chouji trained every single day and to be where they are right now, it wasn't easy at all.

Sakura and Ino shared bitter smiles as they saw the two cheerful as ever, happy that they could finally prove themselves to the world. Yet the two girls missed out. Was fate playing a trick on them?

Naruto seemed to have caught on to their melancholy and instantly cheered them up, "Hey, hey, you've gained everyone's approval with your match there and I daresay that if anyone had the gall to call you girls _weak_, I'll be the first one to rip him apart."

Girls love boyfriends that care for them, and needless to say, in this case, Sakura and Ino were deeply moved by Naruto's thoughtful acts.

And just as Naruto was about to continue their conversation, the board started flickering through names again, and this time it came as quite the shocker.

_Oh heeeeeeell no……_

Hayate started for a moment, before a series of coughs hit him. The chatter in the room slowly dissolved into nothingness as they all awaited the referee's call, and sure enough, there it was.

"Will Uzumaki Naruto and Rock Lee please come down to the arena?"

* * *

_**Elsewhere on the outskirts of Konoha……**_

An aqua-haired man strolled down the roads, ready to embrace his home. It had been years since he came back, and he had a mission this time.

One thing about Kamio Ryusei, he hated to disappoint.

_Let's see if things do get just _slightly_ more interesting……this time round……

* * *

_

_**YES! I FINISHED THE CHAP! RAWRR!!!!! XDDDDD**_

_**Come on peepz, cheer with me! JOY! HAPPINESS!!!! **_

_**Ok, more battles and more twists about to come, so stay tuned. Do comment on this chapter because it took a lot of thought to decide who shall win in which combat etc. **_

_**But yeah, next fic I'll be updating will be "I Live On", and it should be out soon. I hope you guys enjoyed this chap!**_

_**The Chuunin exams are a bitch to write about, so I hope at least this is interesting for you guys. **_

_**That's about it I guess. C'ya till next time! 3**_


	24. A True Shinobi

A/N: Alright

_**A/N: Alright! Sorry for the long wait. Now, the fight you guys have been waiting for. Starring ROCK LEE AND NARUTO!! 33333**_

_**Lol, as of now, I am trying to think of all sorts of ways to make the fighting scenes as original as possible, and hopefully, it'll all come out right in the end. It's actually getting hard to picture how the attacks should come. **_

_**Ah whatever, enough of my blabbering. Onwards to chapter 24!! XDDD**_

_**Disclaimer: Given my recent busy schedule, I eat like one meal a day…what makes you think I have time to update the Naruto manga with such crappy plots? Oh yeah, that's right ain't it? I DON'T own Naruto! **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 24: A True Shinobi

"Ne, ne, Kire-chan! How's Anko?" A concerned Minagi asked as her frown was lodged firmly between her brows.

The graceful Hyuga sighed as she took a sit, before replying wearily, "Not good. She's been placed in the Intensive Care Unit for the time being, but it's obvious that it's not just physical wounds…her mental conscious has been severely abused…"

Minagi closed her eyes and bit her lips, "…She'll pull through…after all…she won't just die off after Naruto literally fought Orochimaru to a standstill. And he tried so hard too, just for her. Speaking of which, how's the preliminaries going?"

Kireki gave a slight shake of her head, "It was a pity that Sakura and Ino lost their go at a Chuunin title, they certainly deserve it. Naruto has yet to fight."

The chocolate-haired Uchiha raised an eyebrow, "Those two lost?"

"They fought each other to a draw."

"Ah. Tough."

"Indeed, it does seem like there are quite a strong batch of shinobi in this exams…"

Minagi rolled her eyes, "That brat had better win. Anko would castrate him if he dared lose to some punk."

Kireki couldn't help but chuckle at that statement, "And if it's a female?"

"…I feel sorry for that unfortunate individual…"

"Haha…"

White eyes glanced towards the arena, _Naruto…_

* * *

_**In the Preliminaries Arena…**_

A certain blond was definitely _not_ in the mood to laugh as he barely dodged yet another strike from the spandex-clad genin. It was utterly amazing to find someone with such a pure style of combat, involving mere taijutsu, only taijutsu, and pretty much, the essence of taijutsu.

And we go back to the basics. Main components that make up taijutsu: your strength, your speed, your flexibility, your agility, your reflex, your stamina and your ability to withstand hits.

And right now, it is a classic example of a fight, with Rock Lee possessing advantages in speed and strength currently, whilst Naruto had pretty much everything else. His strength was lacking due to the intense battle with Orochimaru and his speed was hindered by the Gravity seals he left activated.

And since Lee was training under Gai…Naruto was pretty sure this was the most basic skill level he was experiencing at this moment. The flurry of attacks were meant to be strung together to form one deadly combo, yet Naruto would always find a weakness on an 'offbeat' of the attack and interrupt the sequence, often offsetting Lee's balance. Yet that would prove useless soon as Lee merely dashes around Naruto and begins another set of attacks.

Ninjutsu and genjutsu are completely out of the question seeing Naruto would require his precious hands to form the respective seals, and yet with Lee's onslaught of punches and kicks, he doubted that he would have the time to pull off a jutsu. And even if he did succeed, chances are, Lee would merely dodge it.

Sakura and Ino watched on with curious expressions, the slight worry definitely present in their eyes. Even Kiba couldn't help but gape, "Woah, that Lee guy is strong!"

"I daresay Lee has trained harder than any of the genin present in this arena. His hardened passions of youth have undergone severe training to prove his own worth. He is a genius of hard work, and it is here where his true talents are shown." Surprisingly, it was Gai who replied, rid of his usual random tone, replaced instead with a serious attitude.

"Naruto-kun, why is it that you do not fight back?"

The _nerve_. The bloody _nerve_ of this green spandex wearing _punk_ that dared question _why_ he is not retaliating.

Kakashi shook his head, "Well, he might be a genius of hard work……but to be honest Gai…" The famed Copy-ninja gazed nonchalantly at his colleague, "Naruto is a genius in _everything_."

And as though answering Kakashi's beliefs, Naruto's fist suddenly shot out through Lee's numerous punches and caught the genin off-guard. Taking use of this slight lack of concentration, Naruto let off a huge chakra burst, temporarily forcing Lee away from him, before quickly forming the correct seals, "Doton: Doryu Taiga! _(Earth element: Earth Dragon Rushing River)_" A surge of mud appeared directly in front of the blond, before charging towards a stunned Rock Lee.

The genin in question quickly side-stepped, barely avoiding the ninjutsu when Naruto continued his onslaught, "Doton: Doryudan! _(Earth Element: Earth Dragon Missile)_" Amidst the rushing mud torrent, several compact projectiles were fired at Lee, effectively sealing off his escape route, leaving only the left side open for him to dodge.

And dodge he did, but he definitely wasn't prepared as Naruto appeared in front of him, as though predicting his movements, and in his hands…lay a shimmering blue sphere of chakra, the intensity of the attack literally unheard of as Lee attempted to block using his arms as his only shield.

Naruto cursed as the control he could muster in his current state of fatigue merely amounted to a quarter its usual strength, and though the Rasengan connected, all it did was send Lee spiraling into the wall, meaning that much damage at all. He sighed inwardly at his lack of chakra control due to a certain Snake-teme's intervention in this otherwise _simple_ exam.

Gasps could be heard throughout the arena as many pondered what exactly that attack was. Most of the jonin recognized it, save for rookie ones such as Kurenai. Sandaime Hokage raised an eyebrow, before chuckling softly to himself, _Impressive._

Gai's eyes widened as he stared at Kakashi, "How…"

His 'rival' simply shrugged, "Don't ask me. I ain't his sensei."

Neji frowned at that move; it seemed to be a jutsu of medium strength at best, so why were the jonin making such a fuss over it?

In his arrogance, Hyuga Neji made a deadly mistake, it was true that the power of the jutsu that Naruto just used was above average, yet he had failed to notice that the real core of the attack lie within the control.

Sakura bit her lips as she almost blurted out in disappointment…if this was all Naruto could muster……then given Lee's stamina and speed, Naruto may well lose this battle…

Ino banged her fist on the railing in frustration, her eyebrows furrowed with an expression of anxiousness on her face. This…all this…just wasn't fair! Their team, team six, had been the best overall team in this whole damn exam! And yet if this keeps on, Team six might even end up with not a single one passing!

It was only then where the two girls understood that having the skills alone wasn't enough, because in real life situations, like this one, fate might decide to fuck you up a bit, and your luck may well run out on several different occasions. Anko was down, Sakura and Ino lost their chance, Naruto was lacking chakra and control due to an intense fight against Orochimaru. To sum it up, basically everything was against them at this point.

The blonde gritted her teeth before growling in irritation, "NARUTO! YOU BETTER BEAT THAT BUSHY-BROWS OR I WILL KICK YOUR NUTS SO HARD –"

Sakura rolled her eyes, before smiling slightly at Naruto's horrified expression, "Well, you heard her. I wouldn't be as evil…I'll lessen the pain and just slice them off."

Silence…then visible gulps could be seen from every single male in the arena. Shinobi will do well to remember that threats from females are as deadly as they come. To ignore one or to forget……can cause severe consequences…and Naruto being on the same team as Sakura and Ino…_and_ best friends for numerous years…_fully_ understood their threats…_AND_ hey presto, motivation, come to papa…

Before Lee could even comprehend what was going on, Naruto was already behind him, mesmerizing him with taijutsu that he had never even seen before. It was insanely fast, and flowed with such fluidity that Lee could barely parry the strikes. Naruto didn't let up, his attacks though fast, weren't of much power compared to Lee's Goken _(Hard Fist)_, yet bit by bit, he was succeeding in limiting his actions and flexibility.

Ryuudou Gensou Ken _(Flowing Illusions fist)_, favours agility over power and speed over strength. The control required was unbelievably high, and to the untrained eye, it would seem as though Naruto's punches seemed like touches of the feathers.

Yet Hinata knew better. Small streaks of chakra were latched onto Lee as each punch landed on his torso, the chakra lines weren't visible unless you look at them close-up, and with Lee's total attention on Naruto, the poor boy had no idea why in the world would his movements be hindered so much in such a short period of time. This was a good physical and mental tactic, effectively implementing fear into the opponent. Naruto was indeed a master of devious acts as always, it would seem.

All of a sudden, Naruto's movements slowed down, where he stretched out his left arm, blocking off Lee's feeble attempts at offense due to the chakra strings hindering his muscular movements, and slowly chakra began pulsing within his right palm.

His eyes narrowed slightly, before he thrust his right arm, slamming the open palm right through Lee's defense, accurately hitting his left lung, "Ougi: Sen'un shou! _(Cloud Piercing Palm)_"

All Lee felt was one light chakra pulse, before a sense of dizziness attacked his mind, then a stronger pulse, destabilizing the feel of balance, and one final pulsation, before he was blasted back into the wall behind him.

Gasps of shock were heard once again, it was truly surprising that a genin would be able to master the fine art of 'soft' attacks. Taijutsu was basically divided into two types, hard and soft. Hard being the type Gai would use, straightforward and downright brutal at times. Soft being the type Hyugas use, where it does internal damage. And judging from Naruto's preparation of the technique and the seemingly light strikes he showed, it definitely leaned towards the 'soft' side.

So imagine Naruto's shock when Lee got back up soon after, shaking off the rubble on his body, and once again, took up his battle stance. His eyes were about the size of dinner plates as he could not believe that Lee would recover so quickly from that attack.

"Wha……how…" Naruto would learn later on that having his face imitating that of a fish would be useless in getting a proper response out of another person, let alone his opponent.

Lee merely smiled brightly, "I thank you for your consideration, but I am fine!" before frowning, "Though I wish you would stop pulling back your punches and taking it easy on me! My youthful pride shall not allow it! Let's fight for real Naruto-san!"

And to this, Naruto could do nothing but laugh bitterly. Pull punches? Take it easy? Like…_What the fuck?!_

Even Kakashi felt curious about this situation, and hence he glanced over at Gai, only to find him with a relieved expression on his face, "Gai…mind explaining?"

The elite taijutsu jonin replied with a frown, "Well, to put it simply, Lee can only use taijutsu…I'm sure you know what that means…"

Kakashi's visible eye widened, "He can't harness his chakra properly?"

"Indeed."

"Ho…what are the chances…luck must be against you Naruto…"

Chouji and the others meanwhile, seemed a little confused, "Ne, sensei, what do you mean by that?"

Kakashi sighed, "Judging from Naruto's movements, that attack seemed to do something to the chakra movement within the opponent's body, hence the pulses of chakra. My guess is that by interrupting the normal flow of chakra with the first pulse, Naruto would then take advantage of the opening and disrupt one of the senses with the second pulse, and finally making use of the chakra's repulsion under confused states, repel the opponent by making use of their own chakra capacity and a minimal amount of chakra on his input."

"Meaning……?"

"Lee can't harness his chakra to a specific point too successfully, hence his flow of chakra would be smoother than most people's, and hence, when Naruto tried to disrupt the rhythm and take advantage of Lee's chakra, it failed as Lee's chakra acted in a different manner, being supplied directly to the muscles would be my belief, instead of being pumped into our nerves before to the specific muscles. Well, put it simply, that type of taijutsu just doesn't work on Lee."

Gai nodded, "Though I have to give Naruto-kun credit for thinking of that attack. It does work well given his current circumstances. Unfortunately, he got the wrong opponent. Lee shall win this battle. I'm sure of it!"

And as he proclaimed that sentence, as much as Kakashi wanted to rebut it, he found it quite hard to argue. Over and over, Naruto's aces proved either faulty or useless against this peculiar genin, whose faults have _miraculously_ become excellent weapons against Naruto.

"This is ridiculous…" muttered Naruto as he was once again put on the defensive. He needed a way to break the deadlock and he needed it fast.

Sakura gasped in horror as Lee broke through Naruto's defense and gave him a hook right in the face, sending the blond crashing into the ground. However, the blond instantly dispersed into a cloud of white smoke. Before anyone could realize what happened, Naruto had conjured up a shakkakyu and blasted Lee towards the huge statue.

Ino sighed in relief as Naruto was found resting at the other end of the arena, whilst Lee had leapt backwards onto the statue, as though waiting to reform his attacks.

"Lee! Take them off!" exclaimed Gai as he sent his precious disciple the 'thumbs-up'. The spandex-clad genin instantly saluted his teacher, "But Gai-sensei! Didn't you say that they can only be taken off when protecting someone precious to me?"

Gai's grin widened, "I give you the permission!"

The expression on Lee's face seemed to almost glow for a second, before the genin began chuckling loudly with glee. His hands reached for the hidden weights on his trousers and in a swift move, he removed them both, "Yosh! Now I can move freely!"

"Weights?" inquired a disinterested Kiba.

"How much difference will those puny……" Sasuke didn't even finish the sentence as the weights hit the ground.

Two small craters were formed due to the impact, causing almost everyone's eyes to bulge out of their sockets, "NANI?!"

Kakashi shook his head in exasperation, "Gai…isn't that a bit too much?"

One certain blond seemed to be having similar thoughts, _Oh shit…_

Before he even had time to react, Lee had disappeared from his spot, almost magically appearing behind him, ramming his fist into Naruto's back, before spinning almost effortlessly to his front and gave a heavy strike to his skull, and finally ending with a hard uppercut to his chin, sending Naruto right into the walls behind him.

"NARUTO!"

They couldn't believe their eyes. Naruto…of all people, getting beaten up like this? Even Sasuke couldn't help but feel a cold chilling sensation up his spine, _How can mere taijutsu be that strong?_

"Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu! _(Fire element: Grand Fireball technique_)"

Amongst the rubble, a gigantic flame sphere arose from the shadows, aimed directly at Lee. The bushy-browed genin made full use of his speed and dodged the fireball with ease, "Naruto-san, with my speed, your ninjutsu and genjutsu will not be able to hit me. Your taijutsu seems to be sub par compared to mine; I suggest you rethink your options. I do not want to injure you severely."

If it had been anyone _but_ Lee, Sakura and Ino would have beaten the crap out of the guy. Such an arrogant statement coming from your opponent's mouth, how infuriating it must be! But the girls knew that Lee was merely stating a fact, and he was genuinely concerned for Naruto's health. There was absolutely no sign of arrogance on his face and his posture seemed extremely polite.

A sigh could be heard as Naruto slowly brushed the rubble off him, "No worries Lee…I assure you…though my taijutsu may well be less efficient against your style, my ninjutsu and genjutsu…will definitely be of more use than you can ever imagine!"

He instantly began forming seals, his chakra surging once again, as though preparing for something to end it all, yet…

With a cloud of smoke, four Narutos stood in the middle of the arena, all in their battle stances, motioning for Lee to attack. "Well Lee? Bring it!"

Each had the exact same voice. Each looked exactly the same. Which was which?

Sakura gave an enthusiastic nod, "Nice Naruto! That way, he won't be able to distinguish amongst you and your clones! If he so much as make wrong move, he'll be countered!"

Yet Lee still retained his smile, "Very well Naruto-san. Since you're so persistent…" His hands reached up and began undoing the bandages surrounding his fists, "I shall grace your defeat with this move!"

He held both hands horizontally before him, parallel to each other, his eyes focused on only his target, before pumping chakra to his feet, "Yosh! Here I go!" And in a flash, he charged.

His speed was unreal, causing a line of dirt to be kicked up from the ground as he ran circles around the four Narutos, effectively stranding them from the arena, making the possibility of escape decrease by more than a few percent.

"What the…What's that?" Ino looked towards Kakashi, waiting for an explanation. The copy ninja seemed to ignore her question as he mumbled softly, "How…how is that possible? At such a young age…"

Before Ino could make out anything from his words, Lee had already kicked all four Narutos into the air, before launching his bandages at them, binding them together, "Take this Naruto-san!" And as they all began freefalling, Lee began rotating his body with extreme velocity, forming something close to a cyclone as he brought the Narutos crashing to the ground, "Omote Renge! _(Initial Lotus)_"

The impact caused a wide crater to be formed on the ground, earning more than a few horrified yelps from the crowd. Naruto's friends seemed to be at a loss for words…

And with a graceful leap, Lee landed back onto the floor, panting slightly due to the toll on his muscles caused by the technique. But one thing was for certain, he won this match, for lying unconsciously in the middle of the crater, was one Uzumaki Naruto…

"NARUTO!"

* * *

_**With Kireki…**_

"Coast is clear."

"Always has been."

"Quiet Minagi, this is serious."

"Well, to be honest, I have to say this is boring and tedious."

"Sigh…"

"What! I'm telling the truth! Standing here on this tower looking out at forests all day _is_ boring!"

An Uchiha pouting is truly a sight to behold. It truly strikes as a huge contrast to her usual cool demeanor. Kireki couldn't help but smile lightly at her childish antics. The old times were nice…well, just the four of them, young and fresh, all elites of the elite. They were deemed the protectors of Yondaime's legacy, his son, his blood and flesh…and to think that the Sandaime chose them of all people, to form the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_, it seemed like yesterday when their status completely changed.

They weren't really given time to mature…and Minagi's occasional outbursts further prove this point. Their leader however, was forced to mature. He too was an orphan, one who did nothing to raise attention. He was one of the guys that stayed within the background; rather enjoying the tranquility instead of joining in the chaos.

Just then, a subtle change in atmosphere was noted by her acute senses. Minagi too was on the alert in a second. Her sharingan activated in an instant, scanning the area for any usage of genjutsu whilst Kireki's byakugan would search for any hostile enemies.

"Alright, show's up! I admit that's a pretty high-leveled genjutsu, but that's it. Drop your weapons and come quietly, or else…" Her voice was monotonous, killing intent laced all over it, and with her cold expression, the effect was magnified several times, making even the veteran jonin shiver.

Kireki narrowed her eyes as she saw a particular shadow hiding amidst the trees, it was a clever execution, one that would take experience and insight. "Time's up. Hakke: Kushou! _(Eight Triagams: Open Palms!)_" A great burst of air rushed towards the spot, forcing the shadow to move aside, and sure enough, the Sharingan instantly picked up on that slight movement, "Katon: Shiroi Houka _(Fire Element: White Blaze)_" A large stream of fire glowing pure white in colour followed the suspicious character. The heat was harsh and unrelenting as even the pavement of the ground cracked under its severe temperature.

The victory seemed assured yet within moments; an electric attack dispersed the hostile forces instantly, before a figure appeared in front of both of them, a slight grin on his face, "Getting a bit rusty are we?"

Minagi almost leapt at him in anger, seeing how he dispelled one of her prized fire jutsu with such ease, and yet when his face came into recognition, all she could do was stare.

Kireki however, seemed more dazed that she was. Her byakugan was deactivated whilst her pupils were focusing solely on him…_his hair…his face…his eyes…_

Her lips trembled ever so slightly, before she enveloped him with a deep embrace, "Ryusei!"

The rookie jonin were flabbergasted at his arrival, wondering who the heck this was, and the veterans couldn't help but beam at this sight before them. The affection they showed each other could clearly be _felt_ through a mere hug, the love between them.

No words were spoken as Ryusei gently brushed her hair with his fingers, before kissing her nose as he always does, "Tadaima…_(I'm home…)_"

The Hyuga seemed elated beyond words, yet she was able to suppress her obvious bliss as she replied just as softly, "Okaerinasai. _(Welcome home.)_"

* * *

_**Back at the Chuunin Preliminaries……**_

Shock reverberated throughout the hall as most of the genin looked on in horror at the 'broken' body that was Naruto. The blood dripping out of his limbs, the ghastly shape of his fractured bones that were sticking out of his torso……

"No…no way……" Ino couldn't go on. She just couldn't. The very words that she would have to say to admit that Naruto was killed…defeated…gone……She couldn't do it!

Sakura almost felt the strength in her body disappear as she witnessed the tragedy in front of her. Part of her mind yelled at her that this cannot be true…yet her eyes were solely fixed on the severely injured body of Naruto. How could this have happened? He was always so strong…so cunning…so……_Wait……_

A tired Lee could only raise his head in alarm as a fist came out of no where and nailed him right in the face, the chakra behind the punch enough to send him spiralling into the rubble with the 'broken' Naruto. The pure surprise that assaulted the genin and the spectators did not end here, for a blond flash took charge of the situation and launched Lee into the air with a carefully placed uppercut, followed by another blond that then rammed his knee into Lee's spine, further driving the genin upwards.

Then two more yellow flashes resulted in Lee being struck from both sides, effectively holding him in place whilst the final blond appeared right above him, that familiar blue aura surrounding his right arm, "This is it Lee!"

And all the green-clad genin could do was yell out in agony as Naruto launched the attack right in the middle of his torso, "Seika: Kaen Rin! _(Azure flames: Blaze Wheel)_"

Dust and debris were blown everywhere, the force of the impact allowed almost everyone to feel the aftermath of the shockwave. It was unbelievable. The change in events was just too quick, giving nobody any time to adjust their mindsets to the situation.

All they could see now was a clearly exhausted Naruto standing over a clearly worn out Lee. He even had the gall to give that foxy grin of his at his other two teammates…

Those eyes showed his fatigue and his overall posture gave away the pain he was in. All ideas of punishment in Sakura and Ino's minds disappeared as worry instantly crept into their minds.

Gai was in disbelief at the whole series of events and could only stare with widened eyes at the scene before him. Kakashi merely chuckled and covered his Sharingan eye, "Leave it to Naruto to spice things up."

Sasuke could do nothing but witness the defeat of Rock Lee…in the hands of Uzumaki Naruto…the 'Dobe'…a normal guy…a person who doesn't deserve this much power. He gritted his teeth as he replayed _his_ scenes of defeat over and over in his mind. He was an _Uchiha_! If he couldn't even defeat someone like Uzumaki…how was he supposed to avenge his clan? How was he supposed to kill Itachi?!

The other genin couldn't help but be intrigued by the moves used. What exactly happened? It couldn't have been a Kage Bunshin……

As though mirroring their thoughts, a very battered Lee struggled to stand, his eyes locked on to Naruto, "H-how…"

The blond grinned and replied, "Genjutsu and ninjutsu. That over there…" He gestured to the 'broken' body of his, or what was left of them, as they slowly melted to form mud, "was a Tsuchi bunshin _(Mud clone)_. I made use of the smoke created from the four kage bunshins to camouflage myself before I used Akiraka Jiseki _(Clear Trace)_ to hide my presence, staying quietly under the railings where my team stood on. I formed a Tsuchi Bunshin as you landed, using the dust as cover for my actions."

He then chuckled, "Well, after that, I just waited for you to let down your guard and unleashed my new combo, I call it the Kaen Rendan _(Blaze Combo)_, and with good use of Shunpo _(Flash steps)_, I was able to effectively manage my sudden acceleration and sneak up on you."

The plan was well thought of and the most important thing was the creativity. It wasn't just a mere substitution, Naruto actually put thought into it, using his unique thought process, he came up with something that completely confused his opponent and took him off-guard. An excellent execution of the 'deceptive' qualities of a shinobi.

Lee shook his head, "I am amazed Naruto-san, by your all-roundedness in combat, however, I cannot lose this fight. I have pledged to myself that this shall be my goal, where I prove to everyone, _everyone!_ That one can be an outstanding shinobi, even if the only part of combat he or she knows is Taijutsu. And most important of all……one without talent…a dead-last……can _definitely_ beat a prodigy using hard work!"

His words were full of determination and resolve, yet Naruto could tell that underneath that enthusiasm, there was a layer of sorrow. He had taken a good look at Lee's hands under the bandages when he unleashed the attack. How long must he have trained everyday? How exhausted must he be after repeating the same manoeuvre billions of times just to make sure he could pull it off? How much jeering and sneering must he have endured whilst he kept dreaming this same dream everyday?

Lee's body seemed ever so frail right now, as though he might drop any second, yet without a doubt, the outcome of the match would do nothing to sway his views. And for a split second, Naruto wanted him to win. He wanted Lee to taste the fruits of victory, to for once enjoy the attention he should be having. He wanted Lee to be able to gain that pride in being a shinobi, a _brilliant _shinobi.

But then he switched back to reality, he himself has goals he wants to attain. He himself has points he wants to prove. He himself needs to win this match. And he'll be damned if he goes back losing.

The green-clad Genin seemed ready before taking in a deep breath, "Gai-sensei! Today, I shall unleash the true Lotus of Konoha!" And without warning at all, chakra began bursting out in huge waves, threatening to swallow the very presence of Naruto as Lee opened the Chakra gates one by one.

"Uh oh…this looks bad…" Naruto contemplated calling on Kyuubi's reserves but decided against it. That wouldn't be fair to Lee, and besides, the fox needed the rest after healing his body from most of the effects caused by that deranged Sannin.

"One way to do this I guess…Juuryoku Sumitsuki, Juu-go Taira, KAI! _(Gravity Black Seal, Fifteenth level! Release!_)"

_This is gonna hurt…_

"No Naruto don…argh…do you have _any_ idea what that would do to your muscles?!" Ino was on the verge of pulling her hair out as she saw Naruto release the gravity seal. The seals control the chakra output, and over the time, while it was a great training mechanism, increasing the chakra reserves, it sort of gave the muscles a memory of the chakra output, and in times of recovery, like what Naruto _should_ be doing now, the muscles would only withstand so much chakra. Yet the seals would surpass these limits and put more stress on his body, though of course, increasing his current chakra level by several times its original amount.

If under normal circumstances, the releasing of gravity seals would be easy, yet now…well, Jiraiya _did_ warn him not to do this…but he had no choice. Lee has got to be stopped. Opening the chakra gates in _his_ condition was not good either.

The other jonin too were anxious with this new development, Gai himself seemed torn between supporting Lee's decision and rushing down there to stop his precious disciple causing more damage to his body than need be. Only he knew the true extent of Lee's dedication to taijutsu……

"RAAAARRGGHHHH!!"

_Kuso! I need to stop him in time! Before his muscles…or mine…snap!_

Suddenly, an idea came to mind…with all the chakra that Lee is pouring through his body……yes! It just might work!

So once again, Naruto took up that familiar stance, left hand held before him, with the right hand charging up a suitable amount of chakra, ready to be unleashed.

Yet this time, he took the initiative. "No more Lee! This ends now!" He instantly rushed forwards, using Shunpo, dashing right up to Lee who was already red in the face, what with the sudden chakra increase causing unreal expansion of the blood and chakra vessels.

"Hiden Ougi! _(Hidden Master Arts)_" In a flash he was ready. This was really an all or nothing hit. And frankly, Naruto was praying with all his worth that this would succeed. The green-clad genin seemed to be caught up in his powering up and neglected to act against Naruto, leaving himself wide open. That or the fact that his conscious is teetering and his mind was blinded by the pain in his muscles at that moment.

"Sen'un Tenshou! _(Heavenly Piercing Palm)_" And once again, the pulses of chakra could be felt as the attack was unleashed. The shockwave produced was way stronger this time due to the chaotic chakra movement within Lee's body and the huge overflow of chakra from his tenketsu. The strike did its job.

Right before their very eyes, Lee's chakra aura suddenly wavered, and with the second pulse from Naruto, it completely dissipated before the third pulse came crashing on the battered Lee, sending across the hall, knocking him unconscious.

The chakra produced by Naruto in the attack seemed had a more whitish tint instead of the usual blue and for a moment, it was as though a holy beam erupted from his palm. A truly magnificent attack. What a fight, what an ending…

And before anyone could respond, Naruto himself went over to Lee, and carried the genin onto his back, "I don't know about you, but that was the _best_ fight I've had in my life. And I mean it. One day Lee, I have no doubt…that you will prove your nindo and become a true shinobi……One day…"

No response could be heard from him, yet the tears that streamed down his cheeks, and that slight smile on his lips answered Naruto's comment.

_Arigato…Naruto-kun……_

* * *

_**HOLY!! I FINISHED!! RAWWWR!! XDDDD**_

_**Thank god! Sorry, I know I promised you guys a faster update, but I've been ill for the past 3 days! DX I felt awful and hopefully you guys would forgive me again. Hey, at least you guys got one heck of a long fight! :P**_

_**And again, I pray it wasn't overdone or anything, and yes interaction with OC WILL be well developed later on. This fic is gonna be a long one, and I have no means to discontinue it, so fear not! I shall venture on! 3**_

_**Review and tell me your thoughts! Was it balanced? Was it interesting?! Was it absolutely boring your brains off?! Do tell and any questions, I'll happily answer them. C'ya all next time!**_

_**P.S. I repeat again, the translations are NOT direct, they're sorta the same meanings, but not exact. **_


	25. Coda

_**A/N: Well, at least I got this chapter out. I've been mostly slacking and reading other fics in the 'writing' department, and studying like crazy for exams. Lol, talk about a boring life.**_

_**But yeah, let's just cut all the crap and get it started lol. I know you guys hate these stupid Author Notes. :P**_

_**Anyways, do enjoy it. XD**_

_**Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 25: Coda

The tension in the arena seemed to slowly dissipate away as Naruto watched the medics carry Lee off to the medical room. He frowned slightly, feeling sorry for the green-clad genin, before shaking his head. Lee had fought hard...it was just…_unlucky_ for him that Naruto fought _harder_.

The blond grimaced slightly as the pain coursed through his muscles once again; the strain placed on them during the last attack seemed to last for longer than expected. His breathing didn't slow down by much, showing his apparent exhaustion throughout this series of events. He hadn't moved to the stairs yet because he wasn't sure if he even had the strength to keep his balance.

Just as he was taking a moment to recover, a pair of arms had already circled themselves around his waist, whilst another was tending to the minor cuts he sustained after the execution of Kaen Rendan. "Ah…"

"Relax Naruto…it's alright." Her soothing voice was but a whisper, stroking his mind lightly as she poured her care and affection for him through a deep, passionate kiss. He closed his eyes and returned it, as though he needed something to assure him that he was still here…that he could pull through…because he had them…

Ino tilted her head slightly, accepting all of what Naruto wanted to give, and in return, she provided him with the warmth that they both craved. It was a harsh combat, and the truth was, all of Team seven lost a part of themselves that day. Confidence. The powerless Naruto had experienced at certain points had made him weary of the fact that he wasn't as strong as he wanted himself to be…far from it.

Sakura bit her lips as she finalized the treatment of the wounds, her hands gently massaging the tired muscles on Naruto's arms, checking for any hidden injury that she might have missed. Naruto broke the kiss and felt Ino nuzzle his cheek whilst rubbing his ear. He smiled gently before pulling a troubled Sakura into his arms, "Arigato…" The blond breathed a sigh of relief once again, "Both of you…thank you."

The pink-haired cherry blossom smiled softly before gazing into those cerulean orbs, "What for?" The tiny circles his thumb made on her waist, relaxing and comforting, ever so gentle, ever so caring…

"For supporting me…for being here…for being my loves…for being you…"

Ino shook her head slightly before giggling, "How on earth do you make such cheesy lines into something that means so much more?"

Naruto laughed before shrugging playfully, "Because I'm me."

"And that explains everything, doesn't it?" drawled Sakura as she rolled her eyes at his smug antics, "Alright, get back up there, we're disrupting the matches." Without saying another word, Sakura glanced and Ino, before the two began to push an amused Naruto towards the stairs.

Hayate coughed a few times, before waiting for the crowd to settle down, "Now that the interruptions have ended, let the final match begin…" His eyes locked on to the electric board as the final two names flashed on, "Will Hyuga Hinata and Hyuga Neji please come down?"

The noises instantly hushed at the mention of the same last name, before their attention was grasped by the male Hyuga, who had already made his way on to the arena, those pale white eyes filled with hatred, anger and absolute arrogance. His piercing gaze was centered on one and one person alone…his cousin…

There was a notable change in posture from the Hyuga. His emotionless facial features now leak slight killing intent that was masked by the condescending look present. The lack of guard he showed on the outside was enough to hide his extremely careful nature to lull his prey in, before his ferocious rage, evident in his clenched fists, engulfed his opponent.

The famed Byakugan wasn't even activated yet, and already he had made excellent use of the fear factor, causing several genin to gulp as his gaze brushed past them, stopping finally on _her_. Hyuga's Soke _(Main House) _member, daughter of the Clan's leader, friend of one outrageous Uzumaki, the future heiress of the clan - Hyuga Hinata.

Shikamaru frowned at the blatant dislike this genin showed for his teammate. It wasn't just for show; one could literally feel the tension in the air as Hinata stared back at him, with something that seemed like…sorrow? Shino too sensed her distress and laid his hand on her shoulder, giving her his silent support. The lazy prodigy sighed, before giving her a small smile, and tapping his finger to his left temple.

This quiet interaction between Team eight made Kurenai prouder than ever. There might not be the same level of open interaction like Team Six, nor the constant rivalry within Team seven. Yet this kind of special communication her team possessed, mere gestures required to convey the meaning of all the words they wanted to speak. This special skill they had allowed them to fully utilize their teamwork on missions and hence allow them to further improve on their techniques and cooperation.

Hinata seemed hesitant as she slowly walked down the stairs, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, her teeth biting down her bottom lip lightly, her hands shaking faintly. One might mistake it for fear…and he might be correct, to a certain extent. Naruto however knew better, which was why stood in front of her as he walked up. He raised his right hand and using two fingers, he gently tapped her forehead, earning himself a meek gasp from the Hyuga.

"Prove to him. Show him. Win him." His eyes stared right into her white ones, the confidence he had in her skills were there for everyone to see. One simple gesture, one slight shock of chakra to the brain to clear her mind. Just like Naruto to do something like that.

Sakura and Ino both gave her the victory sign, their grins wide and firm.

"Go for it Hinata!"

"You can do it!"

Hinata closed her eyes for a moment before giving a short nod, "I'll do my best." The small smile on her lips showed that the confident boost from Team six had indeed worked and she really appreciated it, "Arigato, Ni-san…" was all she whispered as she made her way to the middle of the arena, where Neji waited for her.

Gai sighed as he saw Neji showing his disgust so openly, even when the prodigy had promised him to keep in under control. Kakashi shook his head, "Gai, I hope, both for his sake and yours…that he doesn't do something stupid…"

The grimace was answer enough, for the other Konoha jonin seemed to be shaking their heads and discussing amongst themselves regarding this situation. Even the Hokage seemed grim at the way the Hyuga prodigy was handling himself. Such blatant disrespect showed before all the ninjas from other countries not only proved his self-centeredness and his arrogance, but also showed the possibilities of heavy conflicts within clans in Konoha, thereby revealing a weakness to the foreign jonin present, who will no doubt reveal this little 'tidbit' back to their kage.

Hayate eyed the two Hyuga wearily, before giving a short cough, "Now then, final match of the preliminaries, Hyuga Neji vs. Hyuga Hinata. Hajime!"

Silence instantly descended upon the arena, where all the attention was focused on the two. Neji merely continued glaring at Hinata, no change in posture, none whatsoever. The raven-haired girl met his gaze with something akin to sympathy…no killing intent whatsoever, unlike the long-haired genin. His byakugan activated in a second, his clenched fists slowly released, before he relaxed into his fighting style – Hyuga Juken.

Gone were the harsh glares and anger, replaced with a piercing stare and a calmness that showed his careful nature, not wanting to underestimate any opponent, no matter who he or she was. "Hinata-_sama_…let's begin." Straight to the point, no needless interruptions in his actions, his words laced with ice, his entire posture screamed offense, and overall, he really could be one of the most intimidating presences on the floor today.

Hinata shook her head slightly, before taking in a deep breath, "So be it…Neji…_ni-san_…" When her eyes opened this time, familiar chakra veins diverged from her pupils, surrounding her eye, the determination raged true within those orbs. As though copying Neji, she too settled into her Hyuga stance. The only difference was that she focused on having a defensive kata, as though she had already known that Neji would be starting with such a stance.

The Konoha teams watched on with rapt attention, the reputation of Hyuga's special taijutsu had always been a topic that was much discussed upon, especially in Team Six and Eight, where Naruto had repeatedly went over the fine details along with Kireki and Hinata, pointing out possible flaws whilst the rest of them listened and asked any questions that might confuse them. The whole point of 'survey' was to make sure that they did not leave any part of the Hyuga Taijutsu out, for it was the best...strongest...last…and only weapon most Hyuga's ever use.

Ino had once blurted out that merely relying on such a taijutsu would be stupid, and surprisingly, it was Kireki who agreed with her right away. The risks involved in the fighting style were huge when the opponent was a long-range specialist, or a ninjutsu specialist. Not only must the strikes of Juken be precise and accurate, the amount of chakra used must be just right, because wasting chakra would be a definite handicap in the long run.

Hinata herself had come up with new ways to overcome the physical difficulties of the style. Where she lacked strength and instant power output, she made it up with extreme chakra control and flexibility. The amount of work she put into training was incredible. One would expect an heiress like her to laze around and do nothing, yet she trained almost as hard as Naruto at times, with similar intensity, and that was saying something. Naruto was a male, and due to Kyuubi, his muscles were able to repair and renew as he trained, meaning that he could survive days of non-stop training and not even feel tired.

Hinata had once trained two days in a row…and when they finally found her, she was exhausted beside a waterfall…Sakura immediately began applying the necessary first-aid skills whilst Ino moved to make sure that she did not suffer from chakra exhaustion. And Naruto had cradled her in his arms, his face filled with worry…and yet…all she did…was smile softly, before whispering, "I did it…"

In a flash, Neji struck. His blows hard and powerful, with chakra pulsing outwards like a mini-shockwave every time they connected. His fluidity was impressive as no extra movement was made, moving through the kata deftly, no time wasted, no opportunity wasted and no openings left unexploited.

Hinata parried his blows with technical maneuvers instead of matching in power. She would choose an alternate point when their blows connect, instead of clashing straight on with the chakra pulse, she neatly uses a slightly smaller chakra burst and attacks just a bit higher from the actual blow. That way, due to the chakra density, her attacks would always fall onto Neji's, and thereby allowing her to rival the chakra intensity adequately without using as much chakra.

The blows were never repetitive, nor were they improvised on the spot. They were merely following the actual style instead of the moves within the style. Both of them were no longer held back by mere execution of the move. It was the essence within that they needed to understand, and right now, down in the arena, it was clear that Neji was having an upper hand in that area.

"And to think…all those times we discussed along with Hinata…even after all that, Neji still……" Ino shook her head slightly, "No wonder they call him a prodigy…unlike _someone_…"

Sakura barely stifled a laugh as Sasuke looked ever so murderous at that off-handed comment, "Ino! Shh, focus on the match!"

Naruto didn't seem to hear that comment as he frowned slightly, "Look, Hinata's retaliating."

Eyes instantly focused on the raven-haired girl, where her speed in reacting to Neji's strikes increased gradually. Her concentration was clearly seen as she seemed to even predict where the strikes are coming from. Clear cut blows with no hesitation at all, careful yet quick calculations involved with when, how and where to strike, not showing any signs of fear…all those…are the key to winning the morale and mental battle within a fight.

Neji seemed to be getting more and more irritated as time passed. He had definitely underestimated Hinata, but only by a little. Her clear cut decisions in defense were able to override his offensive motives and turn _him_ on the defensive, and bit by bit, he felt the pressure slowly closing around him. He had the upper hand in terms of strength, and he was sure that his chakra control was at least on par with Hinata, so why? Why was he still getting pushed back no matter how hard he tried? Was his experience not enough?

"No patience."

Heads instantly turned to Naruto, whose frown eased slightly as he gave a small smile, "His attack rhythm's messed up. Turns out his anger management still needs work." Shaking his head slightly, "But even so…I can't tell who's gonna win."

"Eh? I thought you said…" asked a bewildered Sakura.

"All I said was it's a draw. Because no matter what, the bottom line is that Neji is stronger than Hinata. Be it experience or skill. And he has a valid reason. He's a year older." His eyes never left the duo once, making sure to note their every move, learning from this battle, for the level of taijutsu being displayed below was…to be frank, the best of the best among this batch of genin.

Gai gave a sigh, "If only he would put aside his chaotic thoughts, he might be able to fight normally…but if this goes on, there's a chance that he might even lose." His face was grim, concern and slight disappointment evident in his expression.

Kurenai on the other hand continued to wear that smile of hers that widened ever so slightly every now and then. Shikamaru and Shino said nothing, merely stood on either of her side, watching silently as the battle of their teammate unfolded below. They had seen her practice so many times, helped her train countless times, assisted her theory proving over and over…and now, they can easily stand back, and let her take control of her skills. Her: _Hyuga Hinata_.

Said girl's eyes narrowed before she flipped her palm and successfully kept Neji out of range for a moment, before her left arm struck out fiercely, her fore and middle fingers brimming with a blue aura, "Genrei Nishi! _(Twin Mirages)_"

The Hyuga prodigy widened his eyes in surprise before hurriedly side-stepping, avoiding the attack, "What...?" Neji could not believe the attack that Hinata just used, "So it is true. You too, can see tenketsu." His right arm felt slightly numb, his eyes instantly found the tenketsu responsible and courtesy to Hinata, it was sealed.

Hinata nodded, "Hai."

"And to think…your control is enough to allow you to close them off at such a distance…" He clenched his fists, before he tapped himself hard on the shoulder, instantly opening the tenketsu and moved his arm around to check for any other damages.

"Sugoi!" Kiba seemed shocked by this sudden turn of events, "You mean…she can like…stop your movement…from _that_ far?"

Ino shook her head a bit, "Not quite. She just invented this way of tenketsu sealing, and to be honest, it requires utmost concentration and control to be able to achieve such a thing. At this stage, all she can hit would be one tenketsu at once, using her fore and middle finger as focal points for her chakra, before storing energy for around one and a half seconds before releasing it swiftly, penetrating the opponent's defense and sealing off said tenketsu."

"So it takes a long time to er…'charge'?" asked a confused Chouji.

Naruto shook his head, "Depends on which tenketsu she wants to seal, and the distance the chakra needs to travel."

Neji gritted his teeth, "Impressive…so it seems that I severely underestimated you…" His eyes closed for a moment, before flashing open once again, sending another chakra pulse due to the re-activation of Byakugan, "But now…I'm going all out."

"What is he talking about? Has he been holding back all this time?!" muttered Kiba.

As though answering his question, Neji struck again. But this time, the blows were much faster, more lethal, more power and basically pushing the limits of Juken.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, "Just what is he doing? Increasing the speed for a taijutsu such as Juken would equal a quick defeat…"

"Indeed," Gai replied in a surprisingly serious manner, "The Hyuga clan has always made use of the fact that 'still can defeat moving', 'wait instead of charge'. Those are the basic rules, allowing those who practice Juken to stay close to the purpose of using Juken and lessen the amount of mistakes that might occur. However…" He gestured towards the duo below, "Neji has completely mastered the 'slow' aspect of the taijutsu…and his chakra control is extremely admirable…meaning he can maintain fluidity even under speeds as high as that."

Staring back at Hinata, who was currently struggling amidst the heavy assault of blows, Sakura couldn't help but gasp in horror, "Don't tell me…"

"Ah. It's true. Neji is using twice the supposed speed, whilst maintaining twice the power…and balancing it out with extreme control…keeping his fluidity whole. Right now, he's probably one of the ones that could actually prevent this type of taijutsu from breaking apart…by mere concentration." Gai ended his speech with a slightly proud note, and given the apparent advantages Neji had currently, no one could blame him for that.

Even Shino seemed tense as Hinata was almost barraged from all sides, where Neji's strikes came from _everywhere_. All the moves could and were predicted by Hinata…it's just the speed increase that completely put her off. It was pure _instinct_ that kept her going, fending off the attacks with as much speed as she could manage.

Suddenly, Neji leapt backwards, before bending his back slightly and stretching his hands out with his right hand pointing behind his back and his left palm lay flat towards the front, "It's over. _This_…is your limit…" His smirk widened at the expression on Hinata's face, before continuing, "You're within my divination range…"

"No way!" gasped Sakura as she recognized the position that Neji was currently in and the danger that was looming ever so closely. "How can…that's just…"

"What? What?" The rest seemed to get over the fact that Team six knew _way_ more than they do and proceeded to bombard them with questions the moment an exclamation was heard from any member.

Ino grimaced, "Hyuga's ougi…This does not look good…"

"Hakke…" His eyes locked onto his opponent, "Rokujuuyon shou! _(Eight Divinations: Sixty Four Palms)_" In an instant, Neji was off, palms poised to strike. Hinata bit her lips, not letting the shock get to her; she quickly took half a step back and channeled chakra mostly to her arms and eyes, focusing on the two palms that were drawing ever so close.

Neji completely disregarded her defense and went in straight for the 'kill', "Hakke nishou! _(Two palms)_" Hinata gritted her teeth as she formed mini-shields and clashed right on with the strikes, before changing the positions straight away, just in time to collide with Neji's blows, "Yonshou! _(Four palms)_".

However, it soon became apparent that she had no way to keep up with the relentless continuous strikes that were to come and by the time Neji yelled, "Sanjuunishou! _(Thirty-two palms)_" Hinata had been struck at least ten times. A thin stream of blood flowed out of the corner of her mouth, showing the intensity of Neji's attacks, and a definite sign that Hinata had suffered _some_ form of internal damage.

"Rokujuu…yonshou! _(Sixty four palms)_" The final blows came at a speed that seemed like a blur to the spectators, for the blue auras rained down upon Hinata so quickly that barely anyone could follow the exact movements of Neji's palms. As the final strike hit, Hinata was sent hurling into the wall behind her, creating a slight dent in the concrete, before she coughed up quite a significant amount of blood.

"Hinata!" The crowd instantly became an uproar, where Sakura almost leapt down straight away to check on the poor girl. If not for Naruto holding her back, she most likely would have. Emerald gazed pleadingly into sky blue, almost begging him to let her check up on one of her best friends.

Said blond sighed, before shaking his head slightly, "No. This is her fight. She can handle it. Do not insult her by going to her now." His tone was strict and cold, his eyes staring back into those green eyes, wanting her to understand the message he sent across. "It's tough, and it's hard, but at the end of the day, it's still Hinata's fight. She would not have wanted to be healed before the match was over."

Ino bit her lips as she leaned heavily against the railing, "Damn it. Hinata!"

Shikamaru cursed as he quickly rushed to the railing, peering over it to take a closer look at his teammate, whilst Shino had opted to listen to his bugs commentary of what had happened, before speaking calmly, "Kurenai-sensei…Hinata should be fine."

Kiba looked at the cloaked boy incredulously, "Dude, did you see the amount of blood she coughed up?"

"I have."

"Did you see that crack on the wall?"

"I have."

"Then _how_ can you still say she'll be fine?"

"I'm not saying. I _know_."

Kiba was about to argue again when he was stopped by Chouji who merely pointed to the arena and to his utmost amazement, the Hyuga heiress could be seen getting up ever so slowly, panting every now and then, her hands gently massaging her chest, with glows of blue pulsing ever so slightly. "What on earth…?"

Naruto gave a wry smile, "Opening tenketsu, as long as you have chakra and you know how, you can easily unseal all of them in a time span of one minute."

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You mean to say…that this…this _girl_ can easily _undo_ the jutsu that the Hyuga did to her?"

The blond didn't even bother to answer his question as he focused on Hinata, silently praying that Neji's arrogance and shock might keep him in place whilst she prepared her next attack.

Sakura eyed the Uchiha with disdain and replied, "Do you have any idea how stupid that question is? _Hinata _happens to be a Hyuga as well. And seeing how the jutsu Neji did to her belonged to the Hyuga arsenal, I don't see why Hinata can't undo it." It was pushing it a bit, seeing Hinata had learnt it the hard way when training with Kireki and to be honest, not everyone could accomplish such a feat just by training.

All Sasuke could do was glare at the pink-haired kunoichi who chose to dismiss his pathetic presence. She was currently in a conversation with Ino, discussing possible ways where Hinata might be able to regain her advantage.

Needless to say, Neji was absolutely _pissed_ to see Hinata get back up and re-opening the tenketsu he sealed. Granted, he didn't get the full sixty four…hell he didn't even get half of them, but to be able to withstand twenty seven high pressured chakra 'injections' one after another, all over your body and _still_ be able to stand was an impressive feat.

Hinata tapped her abdomen once again to check her chakra flow, and after making sure that it wasn't impeded in any way, she once again took up a fighting stance, "As expected from you Neji…but I won't go down that easily."

Many seemed doubtful at that statement and Chouji couldn't help but chew on his fingers, scared that she might not be able to withstand the next onslaught. Kakashi raised an eyebrow in amusement before looking over at Kurenai, "Good shinobi you got there."

The rookie jonin seemed surprised that _the_ Kakashi would actually give her a complement…in _teaching_ no less and couldn't stop the smile from appearing, "Thank you." Asuma chuckled, "Wonder where she got the headstrong-ness from?" And of course, that teasing comment earned him an elbow in the ribs, eliciting a grunt from the seasoned chain-smoker jonin.

Neji gritted his teeth as Hinata told him to – in simple terms – _bring it_ once again. His chakra reserves weren't taxed that much but that was beside the point. _She_…She of all people had shrugged off that attack and recovered in such a short period of time, _she_ had proved her speed _and_ stamina by fending off more than half of the strikes involved. To hell with his pride, this girl was _good_, he'll give her that much. Hyuga Neji wasn't stupid, he knew skill when he saw it, but that didn't mean that he would change his views. Fate still decided everything, just like the destiny of failures shall be awaiting them at the end of their lives. It's pretty simple. The mission objective had not changed. Defeat Hinata and move on. Like a winner.

He gave a curt nod and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, trying to find a weakened spot so that he could finish her off once and for all instead of dragging out the 'inevitable'. So once again, he settled into his stance, his eyes registering the eight divinations around him, "Hakke…"

However, to the spectators' surprise, Hinata began summoning up chakra onto her palms as well, strong aqua glows appearing on her hands, her brows furrowed, concentrating solely on Neji, ready to retaliate.

"What's that?" piped Ino, looking at Naruto for an answer, "Do tell!"

A smirking Naruto chuckled lightly, "So…she wants to use _that_ huh…"

Sakura's eyebrows raised, "Huh? What? What?"

All they got was an 'innocent' shrug, "You'll see."

Below on the arena, she had already begun, "Shogo Hakke…"

And at the same moment, both struck simultaneously, the power behind their attacks clearly shown as they roared out their techniques:

"Rokujuyon Shou!"

"Rokujuyon Shou!"

Thin, sharp streams of chakra erupted from her palms as she swung them around gradually at first, allowing the 'afterflow' (The line created by the chakra before it dissipates) to successfully fend off the first two strikes from Neji. Slowly but surely she gained speed, the lines weaving a strong web almost around her, completely securing her from the harsh blows that were attempting to break through her defense, where the chakra shield held still, inert against the continuous rampage. The movement of her arms was so quick that all they could see were the afterimages of the palms, exquisite and graceful as she held her ground against Neji's attack.

"…whoa!" was all Kiba could manage as his eyes showed him the image of Hinata sprouting extra arms all of a sudden to manage that particular jutsu, "What on earth is that?!"

Shikamaru let loose a sigh of relief as he stretched his arms, finally letting the tension of his shoulders whilst Shino adjusted his sunglasses, hiding the smile in his eyes at Hinata's impressive achievement.

Naruto grinned and faced the bewildered genin, "That my friends, is Hinata's self-invented taijutsu - Shogo Hakke: Rokujuuyon shou."

"Self…really?!"

"That's huge oi! How does she do it?!"

"Incredible!"

"It's holding up!"

"Ah, a jutsu that focuses on the extremes of chakra control, tuning the density of the energy up before concentrating it into a small beam, weaving it with your arms in all eight directions, which by the way, requires intense flexibility, and by allowing the after-flow of the chakra to form, continue criss-crossing the beams of chakra over and over, forming a formidable shield if you're on the defensive…"

Ino gave a whistle, "Dang, and if you're on the offensive?"

Everyone looked at Naruto, waiting for his answer.

The blond merely tilted his head, "Well, you get sliced to pieces then. Simple as that."

They stared at him, before turning their gazes on the duo below, focused on the blue lights of the chakra, stared back at Naruto, and then gulped.

_Unpleasant…_

_Indeed…_

The clash finally ended with Neji being pushed back while Hinata stood her ground, panting slightly. The Hyuga prodigy couldn't believe it as once again, he failed to overwhelm her with his techniques. It was another strike to his ego and he could feel the rage he had kept hidden slowly surface. All the pain he had suffered during training, the emotional trauma he underwent when his father died, the prejudice he had withstood by being a branch house member, the lack of respect he got just because of that seal…that _cursed_ seal on his forehead.

And yet here was the ojou-sama, the meek and shy girl that he watched grow up, the one he had deemed too weak to be of any success, the one that fate was supposed to laugh at, the one who was destined to be a failure…yet now…was he wrong? No! He couldn't be wrong! There's just no way his belief was incorrect!

Without warning, his chakra soared, almost engulfing him as he summoned up his power, "Hakke: Kaiten!" Making good use of the moment where she seemed stunned, Neji used his right leg as a pivot and began spinning furiously whilst expelling chakra from his tenketsu, his hands shaping them into a sphere, using the centrifugal force to further improve the balance and power behind this technique.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me…_Kaiten?!_" muttered Naruto as he watched Neji perform a feat that shouldn't be possible, seeing how he was a branch house member. "Hinata! Dodge!" His cry was urgent and anxious, as though knowing that the raven-haired girl would not be able to counter this attack.

And he thought right, for Hinata had mostly exhausted her reserves in that last clash, where she fully executed the Shogo Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou, her arms tired from the constant clashes, and the shock of Neji knowing the _Kaiten_ completely erased any thoughts of evading.

Before she knew it, she was swept up by the chakra current, before being slammed back down into the ground. The wind was completely knocked out of her petite body, almost knocking her unconscious if not for the slight chakra pulse she emitted before she hit the ground. But at this stage, the outcome of the match was pretty much clear.

Neji stopped the spin and settled back into his stance with amazing grace, without a sign any signs of fatigue. His eyes showed his triumph as he eyed the figure on the floor, "It's over, Hinata-_sama_."

He felt a cruel satisfaction by seeing the girl he was supposed to protect struggle to get up, to defy him, to defy destiny. Only he would know the fruitless result that could come from such a futile effort, _no one can win fate…no one…_

A bitter smile adorned his face as he did his best to keep from shaking. It wasn't rage, it was guilt. A part of him knew that it wasn't right to commit such an atrocious act against a girl so very kind, so caring and considerate with purity unrivalled by any. He hated this, this condescending manner, this strict posture, everything that he had sworn he wouldn't be when he was a child…but now…

He closed his eyes and deactivated Byakugan, his mind filled with conflicting thoughts. He was her protector, the one assigned to prevent the 'hime' from being hurt, yet here he was, the winner of a match where had just severely injured her. He admired her perseverance, loved her determination, adored her smile, enjoyed her cheerful nature and most of all, her shy and modest nature impressed him the most. But no, he had to ignore all of that, for he was nothing more than a branch house member. He shall forever be a bird caged, with no freedom, no power. A mere pawn in a chess set, expendable and weak. So he chose the easy way out. He let it stay that way. He chose to hate instead of try to love. Anger gave him motivation, a reason to get stronger, and his want to defeat the main house members to prove to them that the house system is a fucking _retarded_ decision.

His past was over, he left it behind. His naivety died on the same day his father passed away. Gone was the idealistic world, where everything was wonderful. Say hello the real world. Any potential friends were impossible, for he had sworn to be an elite, and to achieve that, he must be alone. Only then can he focus on training, and forget all the 'fun' stuff that was waiting for him. Only that way could he strive for the better and not think about the devastatingly cold home waiting for him, the lack of warmth in the mediocre, boring life of his……

Gasps were heard from the spectators as a rustling of movement could be heard from behind him. Giving into curiosity, he turned around, only to widen his eyes in shock. Hinata had stood up once again, with her eyes half-closed, her legs shaking from the effort of holding up her battered body, her arms limp at her sides and her breath uneven. A stream of blood could be seen flowing down her jaw, but her posture did nothing to complete the image. If anything, it was one of defiance. And it was with this that she faced Neji, her words but a whisper.

"It hurts…doesn't it?"

Those words struck through him like a bolt of lightning, completely shaking him out of his reverie, his pupils almost shaking as he struggled to control the stream of emotions streaking through his conscious.

"I feel it you know…every day…the pain…the suffering…"

He wanted to cover his ears; he didn't need this, not now, not ever…

"You try so hard, not just for yourself…but even for everyone else in the branch house…it's not pride that keeps you going, it's compassion…"

His fists clenched, the veins on his eyes bulging…

"I know…you care…more than anyone else in Hyuga clans…and that is why…I admire you so…"

He gritted his teeth, his leg muscles tightening, as though ready to attack.

"The courage you show, the mask you wear to hide yourself up…the one who's extremely caring and kind, the one who was forcefully hidden when your father…"

"Don't you _dare_ talk about my father Hyuga Hinata!" His eyes raged with fury as he pointed straight at the heiress, "You know nothing! Stop acting as though you understand me!"

Hinata showed no signs of stopping, choosing instead to walk slowly over to him, "I don't need to act…" Her words were so very soft, soothing and tender, "I admit…I don't understand you…"

Every step she took forward, Neji would slowly retreat half a step, as though _afraid_ of her advance, "I don't understand why you completely reject everyone, why you forcefully bury all your affection, why you act so cold…why you keep everyone out of your reach…"

Neji shook his head slowly, "For your good and mine Hinata-_sama_, I suggest you stop this nonsense, I'm warning you, I won't be holding back anymore…"

Hinata didn't seem to hear him as she completely ignored the cries of worry from her friends, who were yelling their throats out to tell her to not get too close to him. She merely wore that sweet smile of hers, gradually moving towards Neji, her facial expression ever so warm and loving, her eyes staring into his, "Neji-ni-san…"

In a flash, Neji's palm struck out, mere milimetres from her face before halting in place, "Give me one reason to not strike you down…" Hissed the prodigy as he begged inwardly for her stop this.

The heiress merely leaned in to his palm and asked naively, as though they were both children again, her cheerful personality revealed, the playful child beneath the shyness, "Why won't you play with me anymore?"

And it was right after that sentence, where Hinata lost consciousness and fell into Neji's arms, her face calm and peaceful, without a single sign of fear, as though forgetting that Neji had just injured her a few minutes ago, as though knowing for sure that Neji would accept her and protect her, just like when they were young.

Sakura and Ino had the urge to leap down and grab Hinata, not knowing just what Neji would do to her, but both were stopped by Naruto as he shook his head, as though wanting them to wait it out. Everyone stood on their toes, wondering just how this twist of events would end.

Said prodigy sighed, his mind in a conflict, wondering just what he should do. A part of him screamed at him to stop dreaming about such useless stuff and get rid of her at once…yet he could tell, that voice was getting weaker by the second, for his real self spoke loud and clear. And he followed its advice.

Gently and carefully, he gathered her in his arms, lightly stroking her hair, before pulling her in for a soft embrace, his eyes closed as he spoke his mind, "Gomen nasai……Hina-hime……"

And amidst the comfortable silence that followed, Hayate averted his eyes from the couple and gave a slight smile, before quietly ending the match, "Winner, Hyuga Neji."

* * *

_**Lol, most of you could probably see what I'm doing, and to be honest, I'm gonna stick with it. But opinions on it would be nice. Neji's past would be elaborated later on, not exactly like the one in the manga of course, but I assure you guys that it would be explained later on. **_

_**I thought I should end this chapter here seeing how the 'fluff' was too nice to be ruined. 3 **_

_**And yes, next chap would once again be an interlude where the training begins. A good end to so much action. XD Now I can develop the characters a bit more and perhaps the NSI relationship can improve. We'll see. **_

_**I thank you guys for your patience and any questions are welcome. Reviews are of course, extremely welcome. So please, take the time and leave a comment just to let me know how you think. I do value your opinions, every single one of them, so don't hesitate to tell me where I suck, or where I did right. Because it's the only way I can improve. XD**_

_**Hope you enjoyed it! C'ya guys. Laters.**_


	26. Catching Up

_**A/N: Well, I have to say I had no intentions in leaving this fic unattended for this long, but unfortunately, circumstances arose and had to be overcome. So my bad for the late updates…again…yeah…erhem. **_

_**Aaaaanyways, we finally move on from the Chuunin exam preliminaries (Thank goodness .) and now it's time to start twisting the plot (fufufufufu), so from now, we might take a break from the action stuff and focus more on character and plot development. Romance won't move as much, but there'll still be moments sometimes. Basically, I'm not gonna change their relationship that much until the time skip, which is ages after the Chuunin exam. So have patience you lemon-wanting people. . **_

_**And yes, I hereby declare, that there WILL be lemons LATER. Read the word 'LATER'. Why do you think I made this fic NSI if I didn't want lemons in it? But for now, come on, be realistic, they're 13. I don't know about you, but I ain't no pedophile. Hopefully, you guys aren't as well. . **_

_**So now that that's covered, please do not send a review that asks, "When's the smut?" I will FLAME your bloody arse so freaking hard until it dissolves to ashes. Rawr **_

_**Moving on, the problem with OCs, see, there is always the possibility of focusing too much, or too little on them. That and making them overpowered. What you guys have to understand is that the whole point in introducing said OCs is because the story is AU, and requires different settings, conveniently filled in by my OCs. Of course, they may very well be extra, boring, whatever, but chill, they're there for a reason. If it's too annoying and pathetic to read, I apologize. All you gotta do is click that red cross button on the top right hand corner of this window and it's all good. **_

_**Development of OCs really becomes a pain in the arse, and what you guys are about to read for awhile, will be that. Along with the plot, Naruto's training, OC development. Luckily for me, I've already developed one of them pretty gd, and as ALL of you should know, that's Hyuga Kireki. The other two still lacks and I'll be trying my best to make them acceptable. Strength wise…well, too bad if they're overpowered. Hell, Kishi makes all the bad guys overpowered anyway, the good guys need more firepower. 3**_

_**And that shall be the end of this long as Author's Note I would say. Any questions, just PM me. For now, hope you guys enjoy this chap. XD**_

_**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Naruto, manga, or anime, or merchandise or whatever. Yes, I'm poor. I know that. But I've got fanfiction. Leave it at that. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 26: Catching Up

The Sandaime Hokage was having a relatively good day so far. He had left once the preliminaries were over, and had left the final debriefing for Hayate to carry out. It was great to see so many Konoha genins actually pulling through this trial, and even more proud to witness the _rookies_ making it this far. Though the other villages only sent a small amount of shinobi compared to Konoha, the differences in strength was still pretty obvious.

Smiling, Sarutobi lightly stroked his beard as he sat down in his office, staring at the photos of the previous Hokage, thinking about how the Will of the Fire was carried down, generation after generation. And possibly, the fire burned even stronger with each new generation that came. Chuckling, he set his straw hat aside and turned back to the table filled with paperwork. Picking up his pen, he became his daily 'ritual' of carefully analyzing all the reports, giving the appropriate signature here and there, and applying stamps when he had to. Just a normal day…nothing out of the ordinary…yet…

A series of quick knocks on the door caught his attention, and smiling wryly to himself, he politely allowed entrance to the person outside. _Perhaps I spoke too soon_.

Focusing his eyes on the figure that entered, he started for a bit, before a wide smile graced his facial features, "My, my, finally decided to drop in for a visit?"

He stood at a tall six foot, with short light brown hair and violet eyes, along with a short scar starting from below his right eye across his nose bridge ending at the top of his left cheek. He wore a black leather jacket with an emblem of a blue dragon surrounding the Konoha symbol, a white undershirt, a pair of black fingerless gloves and black jeans. The slightly lazy look in his expression combined with that dare-devil smile of his definitely made him more desirable for the female species.

"Keh, Oji-san, that's how you greet me after so many years? I'm hurt…so very, very hurt." Grinning, he placed a hand over his heart region and mock-cried invisible tears over the emotional 'trauma' he was undergoing right now.

Light chuckles could be heard from behind him as two figures ladies entered after him, namely Hyuga Kireki and Uchiha Minagi. "Mo, Ryusei, after all these years, you still don't change do you?"

Glancing over at Minagi, said person merely shrugged, "Well, the world needs some laughter. I've got my regular and dry humour, plus my sarcasm and cynicism, it's my trademark. Besides, what's this Minagi, first time we see each other after so long and yet the first thing you do is pick on me. So mean." Unfortunately, the effects of the word 'mean' were completely ignored as the two females laughed at his expression of exasperation.

"It's been so long since I picked on you, I need to catch up." Her voice was unexpectedly soft, a sense of longing in it that held a different tone. Onyx black eyes seemed to dim slightly, losing its original glow to it, as though reminiscing an uncomfortable past.

Ryusei gave a quiet sigh, before shaking his head, "Baka onna." Hugging her gently, he cradled her in his arms, before placing a kiss in her hair, "I don't blame you. You should know that by now."

Grimacing at his way of calling her, she gave him a subtle pinch that elicited a wince from him, she lowered her eyelids slightly, staring at him, "When will you stop calling me that?"

Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, he gave an awkward grin before quickly turning back to the Hokage, who had wisely chosen to be silent throughout this whole interaction, "What are you looking at?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. Merely enjoying a fine show of one of the village's finest warriors being defeated by his lovers." Sarutobi replied quietly with much amusement.

"Erm…Hokage-sama, we _have_ talked about this before. Like years ago." Rolling his eyes, he sent a slight glance over to the two ladies, breathing a sigh of relief to notice the two women did not happen to hear that very comment.

"Yes we did, Ryusei. But that is a subject for another time." Sitting up straight, Sarutobi took on a more serious expression, "Seiryu, report."

"Hai." Instantly standing at attention, all signs of nonchalance disappeared, "Over the past few years, I have followed up on the activities of this new group of S-rank missing nins that called themselves Akatsuki. According to plan, I attempted to track down Zetsu and found him in the outskirts of Iwagakure. It seemed that Akatsuki may be trying to form an ally with Iwa, and together, they might combine powers and begin collecting the Jinchuuriki soon. Confronting right after he stepped out of Iwa, I managed to force him into a battle, preventing his escape."

Silently fingering his left arm, he continued, "After battling him, I succeeded in getting a few drops of the poison he used. All that's left to do would be to get medics to diagnose them and come up with an appropriate antidote."

Sarutobi nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"I did not encounter Uchiha Itachi, though I did hear that he was carrying out certain missions involving spying and assassination. He seemed to have a partner with him as well, if I'm not wrong, it very well might be Hoshigaki Kisame……"

"Kisame? One of the Mist's seven swordsmen? _That_ Kisame?" The Hokage frowned at the fact that this group seemed to be more dangerous than first thought.

"Hai. That samehada of his should be proof enough, but best let Jiraiya-sama check on it to make sure."

"Alright, continue."

"I've also came across the Nibi Jinchuuriki, Nii Yugito. She…is well-trained and a very accomplished shinobi. It would seem that the Kamio had taught her efficiently."

The hardened look in his eyes as he spoke about this particular subject brought sorrow to Sarutobi's heart, as he remembered clearly of the tragedy that happened so many years ago. "Ryusei…"

"It's alright. I've accepted the fact that I am considered an outcast by them." His tone was downright chilling, clearly showing his dislike about this particular topic.

Sarutobi sighed, before asking, "Did she show any signs of …?"

"No. Not that I know of. In our spar, she showed a magnificent amount of lightning elemental manipulation and control of youki to a certain extent, but the potential is there, she can still improve but a huge amount."

"I see. So she doesn't know the Kamio…"

"No."

"Right. Anything else?"

"One last thing, on the way back, passing Rice country, it would seem this new Otokage is more than meets the eye……Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi's frown deepened and closed his eyes, before replying, "Noted. We have already begun preparations in the upcoming…crisis. Ryusei, I'm counting on you this time. I need all four of you to help…Konoha cannot lose this battle."

All three Fukei _(Guardians)_ in the room bowed, "Ryoukai! _(Understood)_"

Sarutobi stood up, "Well then, let's not waste anymore time. Ryusei, Kireki and Minagi will brief you on your duties, for now, I want you to _ensure_ that the ANBU are ready. Am I clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good, Kireki, Minagi, the two of you shall continue with your patrol of the outskirts and should you spot any suspicious activities, you know what to do."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi then turned towards the wall and spoke, "Right now, our first and foremost priority…is to get Tsunade back into this village. So Jiraiya, seeing as you pretty much heard the entire conversation, what say you pay your fees by taking this job?"

To the slight surprise of the three in the room, a white-haired man in his fifties fazed out of the wall, probably a very elaborate genjutsu that managed to hide his presence for a short period of time. "Man, can't I even get a break? You slave driver…" mumbled the sennin as he waved at Ryusei, "Long time no see kid. How you doing?"

Grinning slightly, he replied, "I thought it might be you. Who else would have the 'balls' or so you call it, to hide in a Kage's office and eavesdrop military data without caring about the consequences?"

"Arrogant as ever."

"Still not at your level yet."

"Aren't we cheeky today?"

"Just being myself, ero-jiji."

"Hmph, ungrateful brat."

Turning away from him, Jiraiya faced Sarutobi, his eyes staring right at his sensei, "So, how long do I have?"

"Two and a half weeks max."

"Ouch."

"Chuunin exams' third stage begins in one month. She needs to be back here at least one week before it starts to prepare the antidote and refine the medic teams. I'm really counting on you with this Jiraiya."

Scratching his head, Jiraiya shrugged, "Well, I'll try my best, but just in case my best isn't enough, I want to bring someone with me. Extra ammo always helps."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, "Oh, and who do you want to bring?"

Jiraiya's grin widened, "Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

_**Back in the Preliminary Arena……**_

Hayate had ended the preliminaries and got the winners of each match to come forth. It was quite a surprise for them all when he announced that the matches would all be one-on-one style, exactly like it had been for the preliminaries they just been through. Naturally, many questions were asked, such as how many would actually qualify for a Chuunin then, or what were the examiners looking for etc.

The answer was clear cut. All of the contestants might pass, but none might attain the Chuunin status as well. It all depended on the level of intellect, skills and possible leadership qualities that might come through in the matches. Brute strength would only get you so far before you were struck down by others. As a chuunin, you needed to be able to plan, putting the safety of your team over the entire mission itself. Succeeding in the mission, but ending up with everyone dead wouldn't be very efficient, now would it?

Naruto shrugged before putting his hand in the box and picking out a number, 8.

The rest did the same and when all of it was done, Ibiki told them to call out their numbers and recorded them on a sheet of paper. He then raised it for all to see, the sequence in which the genin would be fighting in.

"Match 1 – Hyuga Neji VS. Uchiha Sasuke."

"Match 2 – Aburame Shino VS. Inuzuka Kiba."

"Match 3 – Sabaku no Temari VS. Nara Shikamaru."

"Match 4 – Uzumaki Naruto VS. Sabaku no Gaara."

"Akimichi Chouji is seeded and will fight the winner of Match 4."

Hayate coughed again, before motioning to the finalists, "The third stage of the Chuunin exams will begin in a month, so until then, be sure to rest up and train adequately. Give your very best and do your village proud. That's all from me." The sickly-looking jonin stepped backwards and allowed Ibiki to the front, "Alright maggots, from here, you're dismissed. I want _no_ trouble between _any_ of you, am I clear? If I were to catch any one of you provoking another unnecessarily, I would not hesitate to grab you and throw you into my Interrogation Department. Now, any other questions? No? Good. Off you go then."

_Sabaku no Gaara huh…? Well, well, this might prove to be interesting…and troublesome…sigh…_

Frowning, he turned to the Hyuga, only to find him walking towards the Sick Bay, "Hmph, pity I didn't get to face that holier-than-thou Hyuga bastard the first round. Oi Neji!"

Said Hyuga merely turned around, his pale eyes staring back at the blond.

"You better beat that teme and move on to the finals. I'll be waiting for you there to give you the beat up of your life!" Cracking a few knuckles to show his point, Naruto growled menacingly at the teenager that dared hurt his precious sister.

Neji scoffed, "Fate has already determined me the winner, Uzumaki. But for your unrelenting idiocy, I'll humour you. Just make sure you actually make it to the finals." Without any further delay, he left and walked towards the Sick Bay, probably to check up on his teammates…and a certain someone.

"Screw you and your fate crap!" Naruto grumbled as he watched the Hyuga brush him off with such ease. Well, given that Hinata herself had forgiven Neji, there really wasn't much point for him to act all over-protective and scorn the long-haired male anyway. Besides, the hug at the end should be enough to show that he was at least reconsidering the meaning of his life and his thoughts, perhaps all he needed was a final push before he would finally accept that life was just a bitch, and not because Fate had automatically deemed that you were the almighty being because of your status of birth. Now _that's_ utter bullshit.

"Naruto, what do you want to do? We've seen Hinata already, she's gonna be fine, but right now, she's resting. Though that Neji guy was there too, and well, he said he would stay there for awhile…you don't think…" Sakura bit her lips, worried about the safety of her good friend.

The blond merely shook his head, "Nah, he's too _noble_ for that kinda stuff. Besides, him even going to visit Hinata shows that he is sorry to a certain extent. He better be, or I'll bloody kick his ass from here all the way to Iwa in the finals."

Ino rolled her eyes at his confidence, "Naruto, he _is_ a Hyuga you know, and him knowing all those secret techniques really shows that he is a genius. You have to give him some credit, it's not everyday we find a prodigy actually lives up to his name…unlike _someone_."

That comment elicited laughter from the other two teammates, knowing exactly who she was referring to. It was amusing really, seeing how the first match would be a battle between prodigies. "How about we bet now, I say Hyuga will win." Ino grinned victoriously.

Sakura mock-scolded, "That's just cheating Ino, you know very well that the 'almighty' Uchiha Sasuke has less than one percent chance of even touching the Hyuga, what is the point of betting?"

"Why, entertainment of course!"

"Oh."

"Yes, yes, for fun, laughter, peace and joy, I find it necessary to bet that the Hyuga will not only win Uchiha Sasuke, but he will completely _dominate_ the match. How's that sound?"

"Still not very idealistic seeing how that has a ninety percent chance of happening."

"Yeah, but you gotta admit that – "

"Alright, girls, stop, you're making me laugh so much it actually hurts."

In an instant, the two were by his side, cooing and whispering and what not. The fact that Uchiha Sasuke had overheard the _entire_ conversation might have been the reason why these two were currently acting so innocent as they fussed over Naruto.

Just then, Shikamaru came over, "Mendokuse…"

"Yo Shika, fighting a woman again huh?"

"So troublesome, I really can't be bothered…"

"Well, at least she'll prove to be a challenge."

"That's even worse, it means I'll have to actually put more effort into a fight with a _girl_."

Ino heard the specific emphasis on the word 'girl' and crossed her arms in a huff, "What's this about fighting girls? You being sexist now? We are as good, if not _better_ than you male pigs. Hmph!"

"Er…Ino-chan…I'm not included, right?"

"No, no, of course not, you're our special foxy-chan!" Grinned Ino at Naruto's blank expression.

"O…k? So I should feel…proud?"

"Why of course! After all, I just complimented you."

"You did?"

"Sakura, enlighten this young man for me." Replied Ino, adopting a snobbish tone.

The pink-haired girl merely giggled and shook her head, "Ah stop it Ino, you're making him more confused."

"But that's the _whole_ point!" whined the blonde.

"Right…I see now." Deadpanned Naruto, before he turned back to Shikamaru, clearly ignoring Ino's playful antics, "Anyways, if you need any training, I'm sure Ino would just _love_ to help you."

The shadow-wielding nin stared at Naruto, glanced at Ino, then looked at Naruto again, before drawling, "Erm, I think I'll pass. Thanks for the offer though."

"I see…"

Both boys shared a mutual nod before glancing sideways at Ino in a skeptical way.

"Hey! Why are you two looking at me like that?!"

Laughter ensued, before Kiba and Chouji came over as well, leaving Sasuke brooding by himself under the railings, "Yo! Looks like you've got a tough guy in your match, aren't you the least bit worried?"

Naruto merely shrugged, "Well, worrying doesn't really get you anywhere does it? Besides, if I train enough, I have the confidence that I can easily beat him. After all," His eyes strayed over to the Suna team at the other corner of the arena, "I wouldn't hesitate to strike him down if need be…" His eyebrows formed a frown, showing his obvious displeasure towards that particular maniacal red-haired genin.

As though sensing the tension directed at him, said Suna nin turned his head slightly, and gave a dismissing look at Naruto, before walking slowly out of the arena, with that Temari girl behind him. To think that he looked like he didn't have a care for the world, even after finding out that he was basically going to be fighting Konoha ninja throughout the entire third stage was quite a feat. Either he completely disregarded Naruto's existence, or he was just that confident.

"He seems sure of his skills." Shino joined the conversation, adjusting those black shades he had on all day. There was this once where the 'gang' decided to pluck those shades off just to see what his eyes looked like. They succeeded in plucking them off…only to find another pair of shades underneath…and another…and another…and they realized it wasn't really shades…but more like one made from bugs…kikaichu to be exact…and seeing how Ino was the one holding one to it…

She still had goosebumps to this day, and had always apologized to Shino in case he took offense to her involuntary reflex actions. Namely shiver, blanch or wince. Of course, given the bug-user's maturity, he didn't mind at all. Everyone had his or her own fears, and fear of a bug is nothing to be laughed at. He respected Ino for her constant apologies, though, stating that she was the only one so far to actually say 'sorry' over something so 'trivial' to others.

"Hmph, like he could take on Naruto. Puh-leassseeee, we've already seen the level of skill he shown, and given all he does is wielding that stupid sand around, it's not gonna be too hard to counter. Besides, Naruto has a natural wind affinity, that's already an advantage. Sand-man want to play? Just blow them away!" Ino chirped as she latched onto Naruto's back once again, playfully blowing at his sun-kissed hair.

Rolling his eyes, the blond deadpanned, "Yes, because it's so easy to have an unlimited amount of chakra to continuously blow at the sand that are trying to engulf me. Brilliant Ino. What a smart girl you are."

_Pinch_. "Sarcasm isn't very nice you know."

"There wasn't the least bit of cynicism in my words. They came from the very bottom of my heart."

_Pinch again_. "Naru-chan…"

"Alright, alright, I give. Stop pinching me woman! Sakura, help me!"

Said genin idly admired her nails, before flexing her fingers, "You sure?"

Naruto took one look at those wonderfully_ sharp_ fingernails and gave an awkward laugh, "Er...on second thought, no thanks. I'm fine. Yeah…"

The rest of the onlookers merely laughed at Naruto being whipped at such a young age. Despite the blond's weak denials, the rest of them could tell that he was really enjoying Ino and Sakura's affections, and vice-versa.

"Alright, what say you guys we get out of here and get some food? I'm starving…"

"I completely agree with Naruto and second that motion!" replied an instantly 're-energized' Chouji.

Amused laughter was the reply to that enthusiastic answer.

* * *

_**In Konoha's hospital……**_

The doctor in charge sighed, before shaking his head, "I'm sorry. There is just nothing we can do to help her right now. None of the medics have enough skill to correct the mental damage she has suffered."

Ryusei closed his eyes, "Figured as much. Thanks for your diagnosis."

Giving one final glance at the unconscious purple-haired woman on the bed, the doctor left the room.

Minagi was currently sitting by her side, gently stroking her hair as she whispered, "Anko…Anko-chan, look who's back. It's Ryusei! It's all going to be alright. Once Tsunade-sama's back, she'll get you fixed up. So until then, we'll make sure no harm befalls you."

Kireki stood beside Ryusei and was currently leaning against him, weeping silent tears as he hugged her lightly, "Why? Why did Orochimaru have to appear?"

Shaking his head slightly at the sight, "Life ain't fair. That's all there is to it. There's nothing we can do about it. Though one thing is for certain," His violet eyes hardened, a cold emotion washed over them as he continued, "Orochimaru will be very surprised to find extra…_guests_…waiting for him here…"

The Hyuga bit her lips, before wiping away her tears, "You're right," Composing herself, she gazed at Anko once more, this time with a more determined expression, "Now's not the time for this."

"Let's hope that gaki would actually succeed in this mission. After all, Tsunade-sama doesn't have a lot of good memories of this village…" Lilac eyes gazed softly at Anko, "Speaking of which, I assume you were his first guardian?"

Kireki nodded, "So, when do you plan on…"

"Hmm…good question, probably before he leaves." Ryusei smirked, "I have a little test in mind."

"Did I hear you say 'test'?"

"Yes."

"Not any time soon though?"

"You heard the old man, he's gotta leave in a few days. Meaning the test will be in about an hour. Even better, I'll be able to see his teamwork along with the other genin, because in this crisis, we need more than just individual skill. They need to learn how to cooperate and exploit their strengths."

"True…but don't go too overboard. They are just genin after all." Whispered Kireki as she thought about how Naruto was doing at this moment. Sandaime had briefly told them the results and elaborated on a few of the matches. Needless to say, when he got to the part where Naruto had to pull off the gravity seals and go all out against a kid that could open the Celestial gates, Kireki grimaced at the amount of damage the poor blond must have had to sustain.

Minagi got up and walked over to them, "Well then, let's get going."

The Hyuga blinked, "Where?"

"Why, to find Naruto of course. He has a test waiting for him."

"_Now?!_"

"Yep."

"But…but he's just finished his preliminaries!"

"That's the whole point."

"You heard what he went through – "

" – And I know that he can handle it just fine. Come on Kireki, face it, that kid has a godly amount of stamina. Add that to his determination along with his chakra capacity, I really don't think _any_ genin would be good enough to take him down."

"But we're _not_ talking about a genin here are we?"

Ryusei raised an eyebrow, amused at their conversation, "We better not be. I do not want to start D-rank missions once again."

Blushing slightly in embarrassment, "No, no, I didn't mean it like that. It's just…"

Minagi gave an exasperated sigh, "Kire-chan – "

"Alright, fine! But seriously, I mean it, don't go overboard." Her pale eyes glared right at the leader of the Shi Fukei, "I won't have you hurt my otouto."

Grinning, the brunet laughed, before teasing her, "Oh come on, I'm not _that_ bad."

Half-lidded skeptical stares were his answer, and he deadpanned, "Very funny."

* * *

_**In Hokage's Office……**_

"Well, after reading the report Ryusei wrote about the Kamio, what do you think?" asked a solemn Sarutobi, seemingly in deep thought.

Jiraiya shrugged, "To be honest, I feel that they aren't as much of threat as we first thought. All these years, I was out there setting up my spy network, rushing all over the five lands, and one of the primary concerns was the clans. Especially Kamio. Their fighting style ranges from purely barbaric to highly elegant. Like their names suggest, they fight like the dragons they seem to respect so much."

The white haired hermit frowned, "In Kiri, that wasn't too much of a worry, seeing how potential great clans were all wiped out. No thanks to the foolish Mizukage. Petty and afraid of his own power perhaps. Suna's very weapon is in our village right now, and I presume you know all about him anyway, so let's just skip that part. Our main concern being Iwa and Kumo. Iwa's ultimate defense and Kumo's attack power. Luckily enough, some of the Kamio elders actually have brains and see Ryusei for who he really is, and at least Nii Yugito is receiving the training she needs."

Sarutobi sighed, "Kamio Ryusei…son of the exiles Kamio Kyo and Yuri. Unfortunate that the both of them had to die so early. But then, Minato and Kushina filled in the gaps for him…So I suppose…" His eyes had a far away look in them, before he spoke once again, "It seems that some of the elders in the Kamio clan are beginning to realize the incompetent head of clan they have right now."

Jiraiya snorted, "Ha. That's not even close to it. Just because you're the son of a Raikage does not mean you're the best ninja in the world. Those Kamio old farts don't seem too bright to me."

Sandaime Hokage shook his head, "They let him marry their precious 'princess' in hopes of political power, but after a long drawn out fight of wits against the Raikage, it would seem that they were on the losing end all along."

"Pft, that bloke is a complete son of a bitch if there ever was one."

"Crude, but accurate."

"Indeed. One day, Ryusei would have to face them. You know that right?"

Sarutobi took a puff on his pipe, before breathing out the smoke, "Yes."

Jiraiya stared at him for a moment, before turning towards the window, and staring at the sunset, he recited, "The Kamio clan – also known as Dragon Slayers. Gifted warriors born with the powers enough to rival that of an actual dragon, be it fire, lightning, metal or ice. However, with the power comes a heavy price: the cursed blood of the Orochi shall always run in their veins, and it is up to the users, what they want to do with this power. That is the reason why Kamio clansman were so feared back in the days, for all they needed was one moment, before they all turned into blood thirsty killers. However, in the massacre twenty years ago, three quarters of the best, experienced warriors of the Kamio were wiped out by a combination of Kiri, Iwa and Suna."

Sarutobi did not interrupt him once throughout his monologue, quietly listening to his pupil, eyes closing as though remembering that dreadful day himself.

"Reason was that they were getting out of control. Armies of no less than ten thousand ninjas surrounded the clan. And though they fought hard, those left were eventually killed. It was rumoured that a few still escaped, but nobody could be certain."

"They loved blood too much. At the rate they were going, they might even turn into cannibals. That was also the reason, why a quarter of them weren't there in the Village of Valleys on that day. The clan had decided to split into two, one group that decided to continue with their blood thirsty ways, and the other wanted to play safe. Kyo's father was the leader at that time, and after seeing that he could not change the minds of his clansmen, he accepted that he had not paid close enough attention and failed in his duties. Therefore, he told Kyo to lead the remaining people to the Land of Lightning, where they might find a new sanctuary. He, himself however, decided to stay, and fight with his own people to the death, for it was the last thing he could do for them."

"Unfortunately, upon reaching Kumo, the Raikage…seemed to have taken quite a liking to Yuri, Kyo's wife. And seeing how his advances were becoming bolder and more aggressive with each passing day, Kyo and Yuri escaped together, leaving the Kamio clan as the elders had dared suggest Yuri marry that Raikage in hopes of getting some sort of political power to steady themselves."

Jiraiya stared straight at Sarutobi, "That was when they came to Konoha…am I correct?"

A pause, before the Sandaime answered, "Yes, you are."

"Kyo and Minato soon became good friends, and Yuri and Kushina hit off just fine. In the second year here, Kyo and Yuri had a son, they named him Ryusei." The sannin's eyes met with his sensei, "Ryusei was raised up under the teachings of not only his parents, but Minato and Kushina, as well as a few other respectable ninja, such as myself. Unfortunately, a few years later, on a mission…Kyo and Yuri had a run in with Kumo nin…that consisted of the Kamio clan members. They were killed in action, but they didn't go down alone. And coincidentally after that incident, Kumo became more and more aggressive, even daring to try and steal the Hyuga bloodline, which in turn led to the death of one Hyuga Hizashi."

Sandaime leaned back into his chair, "Your point, Jiraiya?"

"Ryusei has proven his control of the cursed blood. But _Kumo_ hasn't. If you pit Ryusei against them…which I know you're thinking of doing, it will not be a pleasant ending. War with Kumo is inevitable."

Another puff of smoke. "Indeed."

Silence.

"He knows it."

"Hm." Nod.

"He knows all about himself…his clan…everything…"

"Minato made sure he did."

"Sensei, I just want to remind you that things might not go as planned. The Kamio thought they were invincible. They thought wrong. Kyo was too arrogant and in the end it had cost him his life. Those are clear examples. I just want to make sure that this time…if _he_ comes, you'll be well-prepared."

Sarutobi sighed, "Jiraiya. Do you have so little faith in me?"

Boldly, the white haired sennin took a step forward, "No. But I want to be sure that you won't make the same mistake as them. You are my sensei, and I do not want anything bad to happen to you. And in times like this, that's hoping for a lot."

Chuckling, the Sandaime replied, "The past is over…I will do my job as Hokage to ensure the safety of the next generation…and amend my mistakes of the past. I give you my word Jiraiya."

His eyes looked at his pupil with warmth like that of a father to a son, "I promise."

Sighing slightly, the sannin gave him a grin, "Thank you."

"Now get out of here Jiraiya. You've got a job to do."

"Pft, alright, alright, you slave driver."

Watching his baka disciple walk out of his office, he couldn't help but shake his head in guilt. _Orochimaru…come if you dare…for I shall be waiting…to punish you for your evil doings to not just this village, but to people who once believed in you! I will not be so foolish again…_

* * *

_**Elsewhere……**_

A battered Naruto slowly got up from the ground, rubbing the red spot on his cheek where his opponent had last left a punch on. The burning agony that ran through him as the fist connected was unlike any injury that he had felt so far. It felt like fire elemental chakra, but just way stronger.

The others weren't fairing all that well either. They had split up in the Forest of Death, deciding to race each other to the exit for fun. So Sakura, Ino and Naruto headed left, whilst Kiba, Chouji, Shikamaru and Chouji headed right.

And out of nowhere, a figure suddenly leapt at them and within moments, they were literally fighting for their lives. Sakura and Ino had charged at him right after Naruto got hit and were more than a little surprised that their attacks seemed to be dispelled without much effort at all. Those violet eyes were as cold as night, staring down at them with such arrogance that Naruto couldn't help but feel a bit agitated.

_Who the fuck does he think he is?!_

_Scratch that, who the fuck is he?! _

_Why is he attacking us?!_

So many questions, so little answers. Or rather, so little reaction time to think of answers, for once again, that same white flame with a tint of purple in it once again rose in his palm. Bright, elegant and deadly.

_Oh shit……_

* * *

_**Well, gave you guys a bit of history on my OC, and next chap, you could tell how he fights. His presence has a MAJOR effect on the entire Chuunin exams later, and as you can see, I screwed with the timeline a little. That interesting little conversation between Jiraiya and Sandaime held a lot of info and hopefully you guys all got it. It's MEANT to be vague at parts, and those will be elaborated later on in the story, so be rest assured, I'm not being lazy. XD**_

_**Hopefully, I didn't disappoint with this chap. But I'll leave it for you to tell me through your reviews. Meaning…click that button on the bottom left hand corner. Yes, the review button. I need comments people, useful ones. So please, tell me what you think. As usual, any questions, just review and I'll answer. **_

_**That's all for this time. C'ya guys. **_


	27. Turn of Events

_**A/N: People, the number of reviews is just disheartening! DDDDX **_

_**Sigh…Ah well, not like I could do anything about it, just keep writing. Yosh! **_

_**Oh by the way, any of you interested in a NaruSaku romance, go check out the oneshot I posted, "Ourselves". It's long enough to entertain you for awhile…surely…**_

_**By the way, I assumed you guys knew this by now…but if you've actually bothered to go to my profile page…it's stated that there are some music that could accompany this fic. I've given links for them, so all you gotta do is click. "I Live On" has music as well, seeing how these two fics are the main ones I update.**_

_**Alright, back to the fic, and let's go! Enjoy! NAO! XD**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…like…no, I don't. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 27: Turn of Events

Struggling to stand up, he stared at the stranger with cold cerulean eyes. This guy, this man, this shinobi that broke into the Forest of Death so easily, even when there were so many guards situated just outside. That strange flame of his…in his…_hand_…just…floating.

_Who the heck is he?!_

Firmly anchoring himself back onto the ground, he stood and glared at him, "Who are you and what do you want?" Naruto knew very well, that now was not the time to be foolish and take this guy on straight away. In his current situation, none of Team Six were ready for a serious combat. Put simply, they were just too tired. Sakura and Ino were trying to get up from the last attack, and for them to even get up was a feat.

"Ho…still want to struggle? Impressive. Hm…maybe I should have hit them a little harder…" The bright flame suddenly glowed and to Naruto's utmost shock, a casual flick of his wrist, his fist directly aimed at the girls with his eyes narrowed, "Hiken. _(Flame Fist)_"

It was unnerving to even describe the speed at which the flames surged towards them, engulfed them, _obliterated_ them.

"SAKURA! INO!"

"Keh, pretty quick on their feet…" murmured the stranger as he glanced at the trees around them, "Skill or luck?"

Chuckling, he turned his eyes back onto his primary target, and as though to further increase his amusement, the blond brat seemed pissed. Oh yes…angry beyond words, judging from the ferocious expression on his face. The fact that his eyes remained blue was proof that the thought of using Kyuubi's power had not even crossed his mind.

_Careful and calm even in this kind of situation? Scary boy…_

His mirth must have shown on his face, for the boy seemed to be further incensed by his nonchalant attitude and white blue chakra began emerging once again, only this time, it was much purer, much more concentrated, and way more powerful.

"Oh? Still? Impressive…for someone your age of course." The arrogant smirk on his face along with the raised eyebrow worked like a charm.

"The hell do you think you are?!" In the blink of an eye, Naruto charged. All traces of chakra disappeared for that split second. The blond was completely sure that he would be able to get at least one punch in. One _hard_ punch.

Unfortunately, it was the other way round. His hand was mere inches from the stranger's face, but he had been forced to stop. The elbow lodged in his chest wasn't any normal hit. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.

Naruto opened his mouth reflexively, trying to regain the oxygen he required. The man merely shrugged and took a step back, removing his elbow from Naruto's body, releasing any pressure that might have been inflicted upon the blond. Pupils constricting in fear, Naruto stared at the figure before him.

_Unbelievable…that wasn't just any hit…chakra…pulse…_

"Yeah, chakra pulse." The guy clad in black continued, "Though not in the way you think. All this time, Hyuga's manipulation of chakra to affect the pathways was the only 'form' of chakra pulse you have ever experienced."

"Who…who…"

"That is for me to know and you to find out." Any signs of amusement were erased and replaced with a serious look, "Time's up, next attack."

"Wha…" White flames instantly turned red, lashing out at him like a whip, his head being the target. Barely dodging the attack, Naruto quickly scrambled to his feet, and sent as much chakra as he could into his feet, forcing the tired muscles to work overtime, evading all the attacks that were thrown at him.

"Guren no Shouei. _(Song of the Red Lotus)_" From the ground, flames burst out, one after the after, blossoming right at his feet, one by one, one after one, forcing him to leap into the air. Naruto gritted his teeth and yelled, "Futon: Daitoppa! _(Wind Element: Great Breakthrough_)"

"Hm…wind jutsu? Haha, good on ya. But let's see about this…" The flames on the ground were effectively put out due to the pressure difference caused by the strong winds from Naruto's attack. The stranger formed a ram seal, before fire enveloped his hand, "Bakuen Tama! _(Explosive Fireball)_"

He held up his hand, showing an extreme concentration of flames gathered at his palm.

"Oh shit." There wasn't enough time to dodge, all he could was pray that he got the seals in time. "Futon: Kaze no Fukumen! _(Wind element: Wind Veil)_"

A grin was the stranger's answer, "Afraid not."

Naruto got the jutsu in time. Yet something wasn't right. True, the wind did keep the fire at bay…but it wasn't getting rid of it…in fact, the fire seemed to burn more brightly.

"What the…what's going on?!"

"Seifu Kiba. _(Melancholic Fang of the Wind)_" A second burst of fire, white hot this time, pierced directly through his veil that was much weakened. For a second, nothing happened, but the blond soon realized the motive of the two attacks, "Kuso!"

_BOOM! _

A huge explosion enveloped the area, blasting Naruto through five tree trunks at least, sending him tumbling onto the ground, barely holding on to his consciousness.

Baffled, defeated, shocked, whatever. Sakura and Ino were nowhere to be seen... He was down on the ground, unable to do anything because of the absolute _pain_ that was coursing through his body at this very moment. To think that his day would end like this.

Pathetic.

Simply pathetic.

He was sure the other two agreed with him as well. Their hectic chakra signatures said as much. Though one thing was for certain…they weren't going to take this anymore…

Nothing could adequately describe just how angry he was at this moment. Losing was one thing. Losing to someone who's better than you was another. Losing to someone who seemed to toy with you and was better than you was something else.

"_Still_ alive? Now _that's_ impressive."

Losing to _this_ son of a bitch?

"NO FUCKING WAY!" With a burst of chakra Naruto stood up again, flames slowly circling around his right arm, "If I'm to die, then you're going down with me!"

Logical thinking seemed to be completely useless to Naruto right now. Why? Well, everything gave the teenager the conclusion that he was going to lose. Every throb of pain that he was experiencing, every twitch of agitation he was going through, every single exhausted muscle in his body hurting like crazy…

So what's a guy to do in this situation?

Simple.

"ALL OR NOTHING!" Of course one would choose to become a complete knuckle-head and be strong. To show any sign of weakness to such an arrogant enemy, or to bow down to that condescending gaze, or to listen to that sardonic tone of voice…would be a fate worse than death itself!

Or so Naruto thought.

The stranger just shook his head, "Aren't you energetic?"

Naturally, the blond ignored him, choosing instead, to focus on the flames around his arm. Thoughts entirely on shape and form manipulation, before moving onto elemental manipulation. Dim red, crimson, bright white, then finally, the maximum intensity, "Ginka… _(Golden Flames)_"

But that wasn't enough. The circumference of the circles surrounding his arm was too small. Naruto knew that he had a slight advantage, and that was the underestimation his enemy had of his abilities, and given his battered state, he wouldn't put it past that stranger to think of him as a helpless boy. The circles enlarged, widened and expanded, "Sai Dai Rin… _(Largest Wheel)_"

Whatever remaining chakra he had, he pumped it to his hand and feet. Speed and power, all he could rely on right now. Naruto's had it with this guy. Win or lose, he'll find out in this next hit. The thought of losing never once crossed his mind. He didn't need _himself_ to state the obvious result. He would believe in himself, and whether a miracle would happen, well, to hell with _that_.

His eyes closed, regulating his breathing, trying not to waste too much energy on unneeded wastage later during the execution of the jutsu. He would need every bit of strength he could get.

"Hm…" The stranger remained stationary, as though waiting for him to attack. He seemed interested even, at the level of fire manipulation Naruto had.

Spotting his chance, Naruto wasted no more time, "NOW!" His feet were long since ready, steps taken at speeds that were a blur to the naked eye, he pushed off, "Shunpo! _(Flash Step)_"

Hearing the slight sound of surprise emitted from his enemy, Naruto managed that same foxy grin he had, "NOW! KAEN FUREA! _(Blaze Flare)_"

Noting the intensity of the attack, the black-clad stranger was about to prepare some sort of defense, yet the sound of something whistling as it flew through the air forced him to split his attention.

Turning his head, he found a huge shockwave of chakra sent flying at him, followed by that pink-haired girl landing onto the ground, "Rankyaku: Byakurai! _(Storm Legs: White Lightning)_"

"Heh." He was caught in a pincer attack. Naruto in front with that fire move, shockwave behind…wait…there was one more…

Eyes widening, he suddenly felt the foreign presence that was currently somehow impeding with his movements. The answer was clear soon enough, "Ninpo: Shinranshin no jutsu! _(Ninja arts: Mind Body Disruption)_"

His eyes fell on the girl with pale blonde hair, hands held in a firm rectangular seal, using sheer mental will to bind the stranger's movements. It was clear. This was the _final_ move. A very brilliantly executed move as well.

Closing his eyes in appreciation, he chuckled, "Not half bad…"

Eyes opening in a flash, with the attacks coming a bit too close for comfort, he muttered, "Shien Karyuu Jin! _(Flow of the Fiery Field)_"

In an instant, flames erupted from all around him, completely engulfing him, effectively acting as a barrier on all sides. But that wasn't all. The flames seemed more volatile…like a torrent, twisting and swirling everywhere, making it extremely difficult to be 'hit' in the physical sense, for the moment of impact would never be the same even for one second – it would always be spread throughout the entire field.

"What the…?" Naruto barely had time to acknowledge the fire shield rise from the ground. Therefore, he did the logical thing. He ignored it.

"YAAARGHHH!!" Ramming Kaen Furea into the obstacle with all the remaining strength he had, Naruto prayed inwardly that this would work. It couldn't fail. _No way…_

The slice of shockwave crashed against the fire wall at about the same time, and at first, had some success in embedding itself onto the energy shield, yet after awhile, it began to quiver and obviously decrease in power. In the end, it disintegrated into nothingness. Sakura could only stare wide-eyed at the supposedly defensive fire jutsu that rendered her best long-range offensive move useless. _Unbelievable_.

Ino was on the brink of exhaustion. She was holding on, but barely, and yet, all she knew was that the moment she released her jutsu, the three of them would die. That was the worst case scenario, and given their luck so far, she wasn't going to risk it. Biting her lips so hard until she tasted blood on her tongue, she forced herself to increase the output of chakra even with her diminished chakra reserves. "Hold…hold…"

Naruto wasn't doing any better. It was a stalemate. Fire against fire. But he was so sure that his jutsu would have given him an edge in this combat, and that this final combo would have gotten rid of this guy once and for all, but the constant surprises they would get from this person was unnerving.

Just how much was he hiding?

How skilled was he, really?

Why was he just toying with them?

What is his ultimate motive?

Unfortunately, Naruto forgot that he had no time to divert his attention thinking of anything else other than the fight at hand, and thus, the stranger took advantage of the slight lapse, "Yare, yare…so close…but again…not close enough…"

The shield began glowing, and all of a sudden, a huge beam of light smashed down onto the blond, surrounding him. "Tenshou no Issei! _(Cry of the Glowing Heavens)_"

Naruto was completely bewildered by the sudden impact on his entire being and didn't notice what was going on before he felt himself being lifted up. Worse, the chakra density within that beam was absolutely devastating, barely allowing him to breath at all, and just when he thought this could not get any more painful, he was proven wrong once again. Bright flames licked him from below, scalding him with their scorching heat, before the adhesion of the chakra within the beam drew him back down to the ground, falling from a height of ten metres at least.

As expected, the crash wasn't pretty. A crater was formed and Naruto was actually seeing stars all around. His Kaen Furea had long since been deactivated and the severity of the chakra drain was catching up to him now. Unable to breathe properly, no more useable chakra present, muscles completely protesting about any more movement…it was obvious.

It was _over_.

They had lost.

Before he had time to struggle and get up to at least keep the stranger's attention on him whilst Sakura and Ino escape and get help, he found two shadows right beside him, arms holding him tightly to themselves, shielding him from any harm that might come his way.

_The hell?! What are you two…baka! Oi! Get out of here! Quick! What are you doing in front of me! Mendokusai no onna! (Troublesome women) HEY! _

Of course, as much as he wanted to shout those words out, he couldn't. Lack of oxygen seemed to be taking place here. Talk about inopportune moments.

Naruto was almost giddy with bemusement when he heard his other two team members speak, "If you want to get to him, you have to go through us!"

"Damn straight you crazy loony!"

_Puh-leaze…now's not the time to be loyal and caring for me! He's gonna kill you! _

He was grateful for their love.

He was touched by their bravery.

He was however, _not_ impressed by their self-sacrificial instincts.

They always seem to forget one slight problem. As long as he held a breath, Kyuubi will help him regenerate. So…if this stranger were to attack him even now, he would still survive. He was counting on that and the stranger's arrogance to perhaps only focus on him whilst the other two use their speed to get reinforcements. He loved them dearly and for them to possibly die before he did…and he being helpless…

_Not good. At ALL. _

Because given their current situation…if the stranger's target _was_ him all along, then it meant that he would definitely 'go through' the girls. Metaphorically and literally. He would tear them apart even. His fighting style showed no mercy and a ruthlessness that felt somehow more from experience than from a personality disorder. His strikes were precise, and his jutsus…or whatever they were, those flame attack things…extremely controlled…

_Keh, even those fire controlling Uchihas had nothing on this dude. I must be getting sentimental, who gives a damn about those emos when I'm on the verge of death? Scratch that, when my loves are being threatened?_

Knowing he was not going to like it, and proving himself right as he winced after forcing his torso upwards, he glared at the man and took in a deep breath, "Ok. Time to play hero. You do whatever you want with me. Leave…" Another breath, "…those two alone. You hear me?! Leave those two…" Add a teeny bit of Kyuubi-fied killing intent, "_alone_."

The man stared at him, raising an eyebrow, "You seem pretty at ease even though you know you're about to die."

Sakura and Ino tried to stop him from saying anything more, but Naruto continued, "Girls, be realistic. And you, you're damn right I'm at ease. If I'm to die, I'll die smiling. If I'm to pass away, I'll do it grinning. Because I damn well am _not_ gonna give you the satisfaction of me begging for my life or stuff like that."

Secretly he squeezed Sakura's hand, finger scribbling away on her palm, telling her in signals to pretty much – 'Get the hell out of here now!'

He didn't finish his message though, for Sakura had already clenched his finger in her fist. Hard. Talk about pain.

Ino slanted a look at Sakura who gave a short nod.

"Alright, what more can you…" The man was about to step forward when all of a sudden, Ino charged at him and yelled, "Ninpo: Dokugiri! _(Ninja Technique: Poisonous Gas)_"

"Huh – waaaaa …" Sakura had already grabbed Naruto by the arm and began dashing with all her might straight for the closest exit, followed by Ino who had escaped as well after her jutsu. It was a final maneuver.

Naruto couldn't help but shake his head. Not because he was dissatisfied with their plan or anything…but because Sakura was dragging him around like a rag doll. As much as he wanted to protest, he figured that there was no point.

Being a pessimist was not really Naruto's style. But in this case…well, it was inevitable for that attacker just now to catch up…like how he's in front of them right now.

Sakura slammed on the brakes and screeched to a halt before the stranger, using absolute chakra control to anchor herself onto the ground, forcing her inertia to come into action. Ino on the other hand, skidded forward, flinging a shuriken ahead of her, "Shuriken Kage bunshin no jutsu! _(Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)_"

The brunet sighed and shook his head, "You just don't learn. Bakuen Tama _(Exploding Fireball)_" Intense red flames appeared on his palm once again, balled up into one huge sphere before he blasted it from his hand sending it right at those weapons. The name certainly said it all.

Explosions occurred.

Multiple ones.

The force of the shockwave created by the blast sent the three flying through the woods, colliding painfully with certain tree trunks and finally ended up lying in a heap on the ground.

"There we go." And the stranger was back. More fire in his hands…and he was _playing_ with them. As in he's throwing it around, up in the air and catching it, as though fire was a material……

Ino couldn't take it any longer. She fell to the ground on one knee, gasping for breath. This was just ridiculous. And she wasn't the only one to think so. Being mocked like this wasn't necessary. She had her pride damnit!

The absolutely furious look on her face surprised the stranger. He would have thought for someone to be only of the genin rank to just give up and accept defeat helplessly. Apparently he thought wrong.

Not just her as well. The pink haired genin seemed to rage silently, still keeping herself calm enough, continuously trying to think ways that might help their situation. Impressive.

These two reminded him of two other females back in the days…

Glancing at Naruto, he couldn't help but smirk, "Well then, time to end this I think? I've toyed around enough with you guys. So…" He allowed the flames to flare brightly one last time before extinguishing it with a clasp of his fist. Reaching forward, he moved his hand towards Naruto, ignoring the cries of the girls and their weak attempts in trying to shift in his way.

Snapping his fingers, he chuckled, "I think a 'pass' would be an acceptable grade for this test..." A seal formed from beneath the three and enclosed them as green light rose around them, soothing them, healing them. "Fuinjutsu: Seimei no Uta. _(Seal technique: Song of Life)_"

_So nice…all the burns cooling…wounds healing up…wait..wha…WHAT?!_

Naruto's head shot up as he stared at the man before him in disbelief, "You're _healing_ us?!"

The brunet yawned, "Yeah, got a problem with that?"

"Damn straight I've got a problem with that!"

"I see. Fortunately, that's not my problem that you've got a problem with me healing you."

"Ah but you don't see! The _bloody_ problem is that it _is_ my problem that you _think_ there isn't a problem with _me_ having a problem about you healing me!"

"Hmm…probably makes sense, but I can't be bothered deciphering it. Good use of puns though."

"Why you…"

The brunet shrugged before placing his hand in front of Naruto, "Come on."

Raising an eyebrow, he looked at the hand suspiciously before holding it and letting the stranger haul him up. Sakura and Ino were already surrounding him, just in case he changed his mind and decided to toy with them more.

"But why? Who are you? Who even gave you _permission_ to give this test?!" inquired a rather peeved Ino.

"I actually don't need permission."

"You _what_?"

"I'm within my rights to test the team my friend had."

"And if we had somehow _died_ during that little test?! Did that thought ever cross your mind?" Sakura grinded her teeth as she tried to keep her calm with this infuriating person.

"Kireki did tell me you guys were tough…Minagi just told me to drive you three into the ground. Did both, had fun, what's next?" he mumbled as he scratched the back of his head.

Naruto's jaw dropped when he heard the names of his 'ne-sans', "Wait a minute! You know them?!"

Sakura suddenly realized something and gasped, "Wait…are you…?"

Ino's eyes turned towards whatever her friend was pointing at and zoomed in on the symbol of a dragon on that jacket this guy wore. _Seiryu…_

Glancing back, he grinned, "Yeah, that's me. Name's Kamio Ryusei. Nice to meet ya."

Well, _damn_.

That explained it all. Naruto couldn't help but shake his head at the way things turned out.

Kamio Ryusei – Konoha's Seiryu.

For them to finally meet him this way was quite…weird. They've had multiple images of what this guy might be, given Kireki and Minagi's descriptions of him. He did in fact, fit their imaginations pretty well…though only the arrogance and laziness fitted. The skill and control he showed was reasonable and could have been foreseen.

Yet something felt missing from the person in front of them. Something that he did not show during his battle. Minagi had described Ryusei as a cold warrior. Kireki had actually agreed. It was at first surprising to see them actually _happy_ that he was this way…and when questioned why, neither would answer except for a slight grin that seemed to be glued to their lips.

Ryusei seemed to feel the increase in question marks over their heads and held up a hand, "Plenty of time to get to know each other later on. Though I must say I'm really, really impressed by you guys. To take me on like that, when you're pretty much dead on your feet, now _that's _skill."

"Well, when someone's trying to kill you, one would automatically resort to their basic survival instincts to try and overcome this…" Deadpanned Naruto.

"True. But those two," he pointed at Sakura and Ino, "They kept their cool. When they got blown away, they chose to hide instead of charging at me once again. Take time to reform their plans. You as well, very clever to try and drag out the fight. Evading here and there, always ensuring you dodge by the least amount of space required to help save strength. Very strategic plans. Anko trained you guys well."

"You knew her?" inquired a curious Ino.

"Of course I did." He raised an eyebrow, "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well…" Sakura shrugged, "Just didn't figure the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_ were that easy to be friends with."

Ryusei laughed before shrugging, "Well, I can be an indifferent bastard if you want me to be…"

"No, no, all good."

"Back on topic. I have to ask you though, Naruto, you seemed pretty sure that I won't kill you back then. Mind telling me why?" Narrowing of eyes and a sudden saturation of killing intent followed his question, "Please don't tell me you thought I couldn't…"

Naruto gulped subconsciously and replied, "Well, you were pretty much playing with us all throughout the fight, and had numerous chances to finish us off, yet you didn't and let us regain our breath. It did seem like a test and I was ready to take a few chances…"

"Especially when the lovely ladies got in front of you?" All signs of hostility were gone, and in its place was the cheerful smile he had on. Hard to believe one could control their stances that quickly, but that just proved Kireki right: _He's a man of many faces, Ryusei, definitely not one to be underestimated. _

Before Naruto could answer, he saw a flash of white, and there she was, in all her glory, one angry Hyuga Kireki.

Her hair was ruffled, the edges of her gi was slightly singed, and the annoyed expression on her face stood out most of all.

_Uh oh…_

"Yo."

"Don't 'yo' me!"

"Kireki…"

"You promised me to go easy on them!"

"I did, honest."

"I _told_ you that they were exhausted. But do you listen? NO! They've had a heck of a day and do not need you to make it any worse!"

"But Kireki…"

"No! Hush! You said you were just going to have a small test!"

"I did…"

"This is _not_ a small test!"

"To me it is…"

"They _aren't_ you!"

"Hey, good to know you've figured that out…"

"Ryusei!"

"Yes dear?"

"You…you…blah…Minagi! Help me!"

The female Uchiha admired her fingernails more as she walked out from behind a tree, watching the bickering of the Hyuga and the Kamio before her, "What a peaceful day…"

Ryusei rolled his eyes, "Yes, peaceful, of course it is. I've only been babysitting these three for the past hour or so…" He ignored the adamant cries of "HEY!" from behind, "So Kire-chan, really it's not that big a deal."

"They're _genin_."

"Not really. More like middle-chuunin in fact."

"GENIN."

"Fine, fine, genin."

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is?"

Before Kireki could continue her fruitless tirade, Naruto stepped in front of her, "Ano, Kireki-ne-chan, were you looking at us being _tortured_ by this crazy lunatic all this time?"

The Hyuga female cringed, "Well, unfortunately…yes. Ryusei said he had a test for you before you left for your latest mission and made me promise that I wouldn't interfere…and when I tried to after seeing you guys get pounded into the ground…Minagi," She shot a dirty look at the still nonchalant Uchiha, "kept me busy."

"Wait…what mission?" asked a thoroughly confused Naruto.

"Shouldn't the question be 'why now?'" deadpanned Sakura.

"Yeah, we aren't exactly healthy…"

"Ah, but you are!" grinned Ryusei, "See, that seal should have replenished your chakra reserves and sped up the healing processes of your wounds, using my chakra of course. Be rest assured that you're all fit as ever."

Naruto frowned slightly, closed his eyes, thought for a moment, before shrugging, "How about you go over this from the start?"

* * *

_**Elsewhere in Konoha…**_

"Well guys, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to have to leave you two with other senseis for the time being." Muttered a clearly irritated Kakashi.

"WHAT?!" roared Kiba, "How come _he_ gets all the training then?! What about us? We got through the preliminaries as well!"

Chouji showed his displeasure by actually stopping his snack midway.

The white-haired scarecrow sighed, "Yes, yes I know, you can call me selfish, a bad teacher or whatever you want…but at the end of the day, I've got my orders…even if I don't like them."

Sasuke smirked, "Oh? Why not?"

Kakashi frowned for a moment, before staring the arrogant Uchiha down, "Sasuke, you already know that I'll be training you for this whole month, might you stop your prideful façade and not ask questions just to mock others?"

The raven-haired boy gave a quite 'hmph' before turning his head away, "I'm the one that really needs this power anyway…" Though he did turn back to his teammates and gave an appropriate apology.

Kiba, however, was not satisfied, "But still! Centering all the training just on him?! That's just –"

"Unfair, yes I know." Kakashi rubbed his nose in frustration, "Which is why I'm telling you right now what is going to happen!" He then realized that he had increased the volume of his voice without meaning to do so, and judging from the flinching Kiba and Chouji were showing, he must have sounded pretty harsh.

"Look, I'm sorry if I seem to be rather grumpy, but I've just come back from the council, hearing about all the stuff that I rather not hear, and loads of stuff that I would rather not do. Are you with me?"

Double nods.

So far so good.

"Alright, even though I won't be here _personally_ for the entire month, because I'll be away…_tutoring_ Sasuke," He slanted a glance at the Uchiha, who merely grunted in reply, "The two of you will still be able to 'train' under 'me'."

Chouji's eyes widened, "Er…sensei, I'm not quite understanding what you're saying."

"Me neither. How can you be training with him, and still train us?" mumbled a confused Kiba.

Kakashi let out a deep breath, "Kage Bunshins."

"Eh?"

Forming a cross with his fingers, he performed the trademark move of a certain blond, and hey presto, two identical copies of Kakashi appeared beside him, "Yo."

"Woah! That's…isn't that…that _thing_ Naruto does?!"

Kakashi sweatdropped slightly at that comment, _er…like…he's genin…I'm jonin…don't you guys remember?_

Kiba saw the deadpan look on Kakashi's face and laughed, "Sensei! We weren't doubting your skill, it's just that we've seen Naruto done it so many times, that it's almost as if that move is _his_, if you will."

Chouji gave an enthusiastic nod and carried on with his munching, clearly satisfied with the ways things turned out.

Kakashi blinked, "So…you don't need me to explain any more?"

"Nope. Have fun training Sasuke then. Just to tell us where to meet everyday." Grinned Kiba, along with a thumbs-up sent his way.

_Sometimes…I wonder who's the sensei here……_

* * *

_**Back with Naruto and co……**_

"That's what's going on? Jeez, talk about troublesome." Groaned Naruto as he settled back in his chair once again. He finally knew about the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_, and understood why his team played such an important role in the following operations.

Simply put, his team had the most interaction with all four guardians than anybody else in Konohagakure, except Ero-sennin and the Hokage of course. Ryusei had then slowly gone through the lists of reasons as to why he sprung that sudden test on them.

Sakura had been the curious one and kept pointing out places that need to be further explained. Ryusei had just grinned and obliged. In truth, he was an extremely easy person to get along with. True, he was arrogant…but like Ino said, he was arrogant in a good way.

He didn't believe it to be possible before.

He did now.

Minagi and Kireki were silent throughout his speech, only talking every now and then to help in his explanations. Everything, from why they were made _Guardians_, to why they all knew about Naruto was then brought to light. The mystery of Kyuubi, too, was revealed. Not its identity, or that it's sealed within Naruto, but something more, like its importance in a very grand scheme…sadly, it was also a very devastating plan.

For Konoha.

And the rest of the world.

Or what's left of it if this plan is not stopped.

"So this group…Akatsuki…"

"Yes." Ryusei's eyes hardened, "I'm not kidding you Naruto, I've fought a couple of them before. They are skilled, very much so." He flexed his fingers, "The reason I told you all of this today, in front of the Hokage and Jiraiya-sama, was because I felt you were ready to take on this responsibility. That was the entire point of the test. To surprise you, to put you into the most unbelievable and ridiculous situation you've ever faced, and yet, pound on you relentlessly until you feel despair."

He moved closer to the blond, "That was what I meant when I spoke to you guys about naivety. There can be _none_ of that."

Ino was the one to answer that, "How can you trust us, mere thirteen year olds, with so much information?"

Minagi chuckled, "Girl, if we can do it, you can do it."

Eyes widening at that declaration, Sakura gasped, "Wha…?"

"What Minagi said. You may think Uchiha Itachi's the only one 'elite' at that age. But frankly, if the three of you didn't have a life, you'd be at his level by now. He was forced to undergo training, day after day, night after night, so it wasn't much of a surprise that he turned out this way." Ryusei drawled nonchalantly.

Jiraiya intervened at this point, "Alright, enough information for now, Naruto, we have to get going." Raising his hand, he settled it on the messy blond hair of his 'disciple', "After all, this is one heck of a woman we're talking about here."

"Indeed. Right, Naruto, Jiraiya will carry on the explanation from here. It is vital that you find Tsunade as soon as possible." The old man's eyes narrowed, "Remember, whatever is said in this room must not be revealed to _anyone_ else. Are we clear, Naruto?"

A foxy grin, a confident gesture and a happy tone was his reply, "Hai! Hokage-ji-san!"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes at the 'affectionate' use of jisan by Naruto and grabbed him by the collar, "Alright, see you in a bit sensei."

One shunshin later, they disappeared.

The room then fell into a state of silence, with each of its occupants being deep in thought as to what to do next…until of course…

"Ano…_ (Er…)_" Sakura shakily raised a hand, breaking the ice, bringing the other four out of their reveries.

Ino too seemed to be intimidated by the sheer tension in the air, "Can we leave now…?"

Sarutobi smacked a hand to his forehead, "Ah of course! Yes, yes, you may go."

The two girls breathed a sigh of relief and were just about to get up and leave before Minagi gave a cough.

"Hm? What's wrong Minagi?"

"I was just thinking…" Her onyx eyes revealed her obvious amusement, "These two will not be having a trainer for the rest of the month, and that to me seems like a real waste of time…so…"

Ino gulped, praying that she wouldn't finish the sentence. _Please, anyone but her, anyone but her…she'll drive us into the ground!!_

"In that case, I assume you're…"

"Yes, volunteering." An evil smirk settled on her lips, "I'll take _good_ care of them."

Kireki shook her head in amusement, "I guess I'll help as well. They do need some good workout. They didn't pass the preliminaries after all…"

Ryusei couldn't help but laugh in mirth at the expressions on the girls' faces.

He thought he had seen enough despair from them during the fight…

He was wrong.

* * *

_**Yes, yes, it was a rushed job I know. Mostly focused on the fight to give you an idea of Ryusei's capabilities. As for their meeting, not the best of ways that I wanted to have them meet, but again, I was bored. I wanted to get this plot moving so that Jiraiya and Naruto can go off and search for Tsunade. **_

_**Hopefully, you guys will continue to stay with me despite my long as updates. But heck, I've had enough bad luck already lol. The roads outside my house are all flooded, so I'm pretty much stranded for three days. Unpleasant, to say the least. Now, to curse me for my slow updating would be a bit too sad, don't you think? (Say yes, NAO) **_

_**Erhem, by the way, I have a poll on my profile about what types of stories I should work on. Go have a vote.**_

_**And again, check out the music I've placed there, along with the two new oneshots I posted, a NaruTen "Bad Boy", and a NaruSaku "Ourselves". Quite proud of those, if I do say so myself. (Yes, I'm an arrogant bastard, so sue me.)**_

_**Alright, that's an update done, and I'll see you guys next time. Don't hesitate to REVIEW, okay? Okay. Ja ne! XD**_


	28. Reminiscing the Past

_**A/N: Urgh…exams have totally screwed me over. Let's just not go there…argh…**_

_**Anyways, another update! Woot! Yeah, yeah, stop groaning about the time it took me, I'm depressed enough as it is. **_

_**Right, as usual, enjoy, and any questions, ask it in a review or pm. **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Simple as that.**_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 28: Reminiscing the Past

The sun was blaring down on the individuals currently training in their usual grounds. Only this time, the sensei was different.

"Come on, come on! Get your lazy little butts moving now!" roared Minagi as she watched her Kage Bunshin rain flames at the two girls. Namely one Haruno Sakura and one Yamanaka Ino. It was quite understandable how this Uchiha came to be known as a very dangerous pyromaniac. After all, the two genin were currently experiencing the _proof_ to the fullest extent possible.

One of the reasons they were currently screaming bloody murder.

"I actually agree with them sometimes…" muttered Kireki as she watched on with grimaces all over her face. She was never one to use such drastic training measures, and preferred much more gentle ways in terms of teaching, yet she had to admit, Minagi's ways did have her merits, albeit the price those two had to pay were much larger…

Ryusei chuckled as he crossed his arms, "Indeed. But it's for their good anyway. The next time they get on the battlefield, they will pretty much gain immunity to any fire attacks. It'll be pure muscle memory that makes them dodge."

The white-eyed Hyuga raised an eyebrow, before frowning, "Muscle memory?"

"Yeah, the pain of being scalded and burned will be etched firmly into their minds, so their bodies will then deem evading fire attacks as a reflex."

If anyone else was listening to this explanation, there would definitely be sweat-drops, but to a certain extent, Kireki knew that Ryusei wasn't kidding. The clear increase in evasion skills displayed by the two girls was obvious.

After Naruto left with Jiraiya, the three Guardians decided to take it upon themselves to train the remaining two members of team six, much to the girls' horror. Three days had already passed, and so far, the girls were making steady progress. Ryusei merely stood on the sidelines giving comments every now and then when he took a break from his active Shinobi duties, while leaving the main training regimes up to Kireki and Minagi, seeing how those two were pretty much the epitome of Kunoichi when at their full capacity.

"Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu! _(Fire Element: Grand Fireball Technique)_" A huge flame sphere shot at the escaping 'victims' and threatened to scorch them once again.

Sakura and Ino however, had long since been used to this type of attacks and could easily avoid it. But they soon realized that the whole point was to devise plans right on the stop to not simply nullify the attack but also to take the opportunity and counter.

"Doton: Ishi Saku no jutsu! _(Earth element: Rock barrage technique)_" That effectively deflected the fire attack whilst Ino followed it up, "Ninpo: Dokugiri! _(Ninja Arts: Poison Gas)_"

Minagi gave an approving nod before leaping away to safety, temporarily giving the two girls some breathing space. To be honest, when she was their age, her skills were not that much better than what these two were showing. The thing she had was experience, multiple kills, heaps of missions, tons of different situations in which one could be in, and this was the point in training them, something Naruto could easily do with himself.

Only way to gain experience was to keep fighting different opponents, and by rotating between all three Guardians, the two girls had an abundance of situations and crisis in which they would have to really think on their feet. They've gotten the basics, they've gotten the techniques, now it would be the execution. That had always been the most vital part of them all.

Kireki was in charge of taijutsu whilst Minagi took care of ninjutsu. Ino herself had a teacher for genjutsu, in the form of her father, who was more than happy to teach her enthusiastic 'princess' all the mind techniques she could learn. Sakura took lessons from Minagi and Kireki, first getting down the control needed and then the theory behind genjutsu. Her mental willpower was extremely strong, so breaking a genjutsu would not be a problem. Her inner-self proved to be final defense against any outsiders who were attempting to manipulate her through her mind. Same went for Ino.

At times, Ryusei just couldn't help but wonder where all these talents come from. These two girls were pretty much godsends, seeing how most of the Kunoichi their age nowadays would merely care about appearance and stuff like that. And even if they actually trained, none of them would even _dream_ about reaching their current level. It was truly an astonishing feat.

"Alright, time out!" Kireki signaled as the hour was up.

Minagi instantly stopped her onslaught and gave a small smile, "So far so good." The girls were completely exhausted and she had to admit, keeping up with them and watching them grow was quite entertaining. It was good to know that you took part in molding two brilliant Kunoichi and had a hand in helping them onto their paths. It would be interesting to see just how far these two could go by the end of the month.

_Naruto had better not be slacking, because he might be in for a surprise at the rate these two are going……_

* * *

_**With Naruto and Jiraiya……**_

"Ne, Ero-sennin……"

"Damn gaki! How many times have I told you not to call me that?!"

"You can't blame me for speaking the truth."

"I can when you're doing it to ruin my image."

"Well then stop peeping on women in the hot springs!"

"Shhhhh! Quiet! Are you trying to kill me?"

"Like I said, we aren't even doing our job properly here. Why the heck does training involve peeping at hot springs?"

"Because!"

"Such a mature answer from a fifty-year old hermit."

"You shut the hell up."

"Oh ho?" Naruto narrowed his eyes, "You do realize that if I scream 'there is a pervert here' right now, you'll get mutilated, don't you?"

Jiraiya stilled in less than a second, before staring at his 'disciple' with the most pathetic expression ever, tears flowing down his cheeks comically, as though begging him not to reveal this location. The blond merely raised an eyebrow at this supposed Sannin and shook his head in exasperation, "You know, if not for the fact that I actually know you are the Toad Sennin, I would seriously wonder why the heck an old coot like you would even be respected."

The fifty-year old seemed to take all the subtle insults in stride and nod furiously, doing his best to get Naruto to agree with the decision, i.e. not reveal his hiding place. He seemed to forget though…that they were conversing. And when one person was speaking, there's this thing called 'sound' that would travel through the air at quite a fast speed, three hundred and thirty metres per second in fact. On top of that, seeing how the distance from the hiding place to the hot springs was about one hundred metres, Jiraiya should have realized that whatever Naruto was saying should get transmitted all the way over to the naked females in less than a third of a second.

Fortunately for him, the volume of the sound was somewhat muffled by the steam and the leaves surrounding them, but even so, for a group of women who were previously enjoying their bath in the wonderfully soothing hot springs, having a nice and quiet time relieving their stress, to all of a sudden hear muffled sounds coming from a bush that wasn't all that far from them proved to be quite a shock. It was even more surprising when they actually overheard the contents of the words and the moment the name 'Toad Sennin' reached their ear drums, something akin to female righteous fury ignited within their souls.

Furthermore, the voice of those words came from someone quite young, probably a teenager, and for him to be speaking in such a condescending tone already put him in a good light with the infuriated women. Their minds instantly jump to the conclusion that this old pervert must have forced this young man into leading him here using his status as a Sannin and therefore, all the blame was to be placed onto him.

When Jiraiya noticed Naruto's thoroughly amused expression change all of a sudden, and the numerous shadows that towered over him, he instantly understood the implications of his situations. As much as he wanted to curse the gaki, he soon came to realize something. One would think that females punish perverts using whatever 'weapons' they could get their hands on. Indeed, that they would.

But what about _naked_ women with only _water_ around them?

Contrary to popular belief, females do not magically _create_ weapons out of absolutely nowhere.

Therefore, towels seem to be the answer.

Logically, the amount of damage a towel could achieve when wet would be about the same as that of a wooden pole stick. Not to mention that those towels that the women would have to _strip_ off their body _after_ having them immersed in water in close contact to their skin would all have a very faint scent of aroma, one that would be unique to each and every individual women.

So would one say getting beat up by women at a hot spring was hell?

Please, I beg to differ.

Which was why the groans that came from Jiraiya felt more like he was delirious from fantasy instead of pain. The fact that once the females removed the towels from their body to start hitting him, the involuntarily become naked, with all their glorious assets and various attractive attributes presented directly in the pervert's line of gaze, and as we all know, perverts usually survive the beating in the end _anyway_, it has seriously become a debatable point whether or not Jiraiya was as 'helpless' as he seemed.

Naruto detected the 'danger' right away, and instantly henge-d multiple leaves from the trees around them into sticks of all sorts. Of course, he had to let Jiraiya think he was in bliss before shooting him down. So after a quick thirty seconds, he quietly handed each and every female a stick and secretly sent Kage Bunshins under Akiraka Jiseki _(Clear Trace)_ to put secure some more towels onto their bodies to prevent anything more from being exposed.

To be honest, Naruto wasn't that naïve and pure when it came to the anatomy of a female body. After all, the numerous times he had been in a bath with Kireki when he was young, and the times he had accidentally witnessed Anko's certain activities, plus the occasional bored reading of Kakashi's smut novel, and the presence of ero-sennin on training missions, well, one would hardly expect to think that he would be unfamiliar with a naked female body.

Granted, he did get quite embarrassed if it was Sakura or Ino, or any of his 'sisters', older or younger he might add, and of course, his mother, were exposed in front of him like that, but if the woman had nothing to do with him whatsoever, there really wasn't any need to freak out. He didn't even look and merely allowed his Kage Bunshin to finish the job. Yes, when they disperse, they sent the info back to his brain, but he could decide to pick out which stuff to see and which stuff not to. He did have an appreciation for the female figure after all.

And seeing how his expectations were raised pretty high given his constant interactions with 'elite' women in terms of beauty, he really didn't pay much attention at all to others. He had no need to anyway. He was thirteen, he had plenty of time, unlike a certain crappy toad hermit.

Funny how the females seemed to realize his intentions and even halted their assault to send him a few looks of approval. It seemed that being gentlemanly did have its benefits after all. It was stupid to assume that there were no Kunoichi amongst this group and even worse to assume that none of them had lightning affinity. Apparently the prank side of Naruto came up and one of his Kage Bunshin not-so-nonchalantly whispered to one of the females that it would be a _splendid_ idea to dump a certain someone into the hot spring and send lightning natured chakra into the water.

The Kunoichi cooed at the idea and did just that. Jiraiya wasn't too pleased at all. Talk about too much heat to handle.

In the end, the event ended with a slightly overcooked toad hermit lying painfully on the ground, twitching all the while, with Naruto standing beside him, looking bemused after receiving multiple kisses on the cheeks as thanks for helping them in subduing this pervert. Ironic that he had the exact same view as Jiraiya, yet completely different treatment. Rubbing it in was always a good thing to do.

"Urgh…Gaki!" Jiraiya then slowly rose from the ground, chakra bursting from him in a frenzy as though to signify his rage, only for it to quiet down in a mere second, where Jiraiya gave him a thumbs up, "Good job! Now I have a new plot for my next Icha Icha novel! What a brilliant setting! To think that getting beat up wasn't all that bad at all! A spectator who gets all the benefits and becomes the hero of the heroines! Brilliant!"

The enthusiastic scribbling that ensued brought quite a few sweat-drops to Naruto's head.

_The hell are we even on a mission for? _

* * *

_**Elsewhere in Tanzaku……**_

"Tsunade-sama! Mo!" grumbled a panting Shizune as she carried their pet-pig Ton-Ton, chasing after her mentor in order to prevent her from spending the last of their money gambling. Her nickname as 'The Legendary Sucker' said it all.

You would think she would learn from all her mistakes and leave the route of a gambler, unfortunately, it would seem that all three Sannin have a certain stubborn quality around them. One was crazy for jutsu, one was crazy for porn, and one was crazy for gambling. Interesting enough, Tsunade and Jiraiya both love Sake. Meaning out of the four rules of prohibition for a shinobi during missions, namely no eating in excess, no drinking of alcohol, no disgraceful acts regarding human interactions (a very funny, albeit nice way to put it) and last of all, no gambling.

Did it occur to any of the Konoha citizens that their strongest warriors just happened to break three of the four rules already?

Of course not, why else would they want Tsunade to be their Hokage?

"Urusai! _(Hush!)_ That bastard just now must have cheated, there's no way he could have beaten me."

"A-ano, Tsunade-sama, all you had was a pair of threes…"

Narrowed amber eyes with extremely furrowed eyebrows turned towards Shizune, "Your point?" The twitching of her facial features easily showed her agitation, and given numerous years of experience, Shizune took the easy way out, "Nothing, nothing at all."

"Oi! Watch where you're going you crazy…woman…" A random rude guy just happened to be walking on the road, at that exact area, in that exact place, at the exact time and unfortunately, at the worst possible timing _ever_.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are?!" roared a very pissed off blonde as she smashed her fist into the poor guy's face whose only fault was being rude to the woman who had not-very-nicely knocked into him whilst he was happily minding his own business. Needless to say, he was sent flying. Literally.

And there we have it. The main reason for Tsunade to become Hokage. Not only was her temper extremely volatile, her immense strength and ability as a med-nin placed her as one of _the_ most powerful shinobi ever to grace this world.

Shizune sighed as she watched her mentor storm off down street, clearly expressing an aura that screamed 'death'. The number of times they've been through this…

"Puhi…puhi!"

"Yes, Ton-ton, I know…"

* * *

_**Back with Naruto and Jiraiya……**_

They've finally moved on from what they now deem the 'hot spring' incident and were finally back on track. As they travelled, Naruto would constantly express his queries about certain aspects of form and nature manipulation, trying to get more ideas in how to vary his two most powerful jutsu, namely Rasengan and Kaen Furea. He had the fire manipulation down, no problem, at least for his level. Naruto, after witnessing Ryusei's control of fire knew that he had a long, long way to go.

But for now, he needed to focus on other aspects, like wood element and ice. For some reason, Naruto simply could _not_ grasp it. There was just something against his nature in wanting to well…_create_ life force. To be honest, he was a brawler, meaning he was a 'destroyer', so for him to master an element that wanted to be 'created' seemed utterly pointless. Jiraiya too, was surprised at first that he could even make something appear, but soon realized that the chakra output for this particular element was several times that of other elements. Jiraiya then told Naruto to put training this element on standby and merely stick with simple basics for now.

He made a valid point: Naruto had two major elemental affinities, fire and wind. So why not focus more on wind for now? Jiraiya had told Naruto once again that wind was not to be simply used in the enhancement of speed, but also in the increase in strength and even reach for his attacks. Be it ninjutsu or taijutsu, if one could utilize their elemental chakra and implement that within their styles, they would be an extremely formidable opponent.

Simply put, Jiraiya had an earth affinity, and by simply channeling chakra through his muscles and using elemental manipulation, he allowed his muscles to increase in terms of density and therefore reduce the impact of the attacks that might hit him. Furthermore, his Ninpo: Hari Jizo worked along that concept as well, lengthening his hair to protect his entire body. There were multiple uses that were waiting to be discovered and for Naruto, implementing wind into his style would probably result in him 'playing' with the element, like what Ryusei was doing.

"Ne, Ero-sennin, where to next?" Naruto muttered as he shook his head, trying to clear his brain of all the troublesome thoughts. Seriously, training to be stronger was good and all, but constantly thinking about it did nothing but dull your senses. Improvising wasn't all that bad perhaps…

"Well, considering we've been to most of the possible places already…it leaves us with…Tanzaku, the village with one of the most famous casinos in the country." Jiraiya couldn't help but let out a sigh. This fellow teammate of his was getting to be a real bother. Why gamble when you knew you were going to lose anyway?

Scratch that, she probably thought she could win. Placing a palm over his face, he continued to mentally calculate the routes she would take if she were to leave Tanzaku before they got there. That village had two exits. One from the north, one from the south. At their current rate of travelling, they should be arriving at the south gate sometime tonight. The chances were that Jiraiya would be able to meet them along the way. Surely Tsunade would be in no hurry to leave Tanzaku? After all, the Sake in that region was quite well-known…

* * *

_**Back in Konohagakure……**_

The sun was setting, and soon, another day would end. Kireki couldn't help but sigh as she walked down the streets. It felt weird that the usual blob of sunshine wouldn't be greeting her enthusiastically when she arrived home. It was all she could do to pray that Naruto would be successful in his mission. Konoha had hurt Tsunade-sama quite deeply and it would take something close to a miracle to drag her back.

Fortunately, this was Naruto they were talking about here. Kireki stopped halfway in her tracks, raising an eyebrow, "Why am I even worrying?"

"Because you're his beloved one-chan."

"Minagi!" The embarrassed Hyuga gave a surprised yelp as the Uchiha appeared behind her all of a sudden.

"Oh? Blushing are we?" Teased the brunette as she stood beside her friend.

"Don't just scare me like that!"

"Well, considering you're one of the best Kunoichi in this village, I would have thought you could pick up on my presence already." Her mockingly sweet tone caused Kireki to groan.

"I just worry too much I guess." Kireki sighed, with a slight frown on her face.

The Uchiha shrugged, "Least you know that you _do_ worry too much. That classifies you as a true loving sister, instead of an overprotective maniac."

Kireki deadpanned, "You're on to talk."

"I don't care about the brat."

"Uh huh, that was why you made sure he _completely_ understood the concepts of complete combustion and ways in altering the enthalpies of certain chakra outputs."

"Th-that was just because I'm his sensei!"

"Ah admit it, you've got a soft spot of him too."

"I do not!"

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"For the last time, I do not see him as a younger brother!"

Kireki merely chuckled light-heartedly, "Good to know."

It was now Minagi's turn to blush, "Urgh, why do you tease me so?"

"You started it."

It wasn't long before they reached their apartment. Ryusei was still on patrol and therefore would not be home for quite some time. The Sandaime Hokage had already given the key of the next door apartment to Ryusei, so it was much easier for them to meet together.

Nevertheless, there was always this slight tension between the two when it came to this young man. To put it simply, both had more than mere feelings of friendship for him. And it wasn't today that they realized it. Ten years ago in fact. It warmed Kireki's heart to see Sakura and Ino training so hard just so that they would not be a burden to their captain. It reminded her of the old days, where Minagi and her would do the same, having a friendly rivalry with each other. They hadn't even realized their affections for that certain male until one day, he went on a solo mission…and came back half dead.

It came as quite a shock, for Kamio Ryusei was literally the _will of fire_. He was the embodiment of flames and could command it at his will, and to find him having countless injuries on his battered body was something no one would ever thought of seeing, until that very day. He had smiled when they dashed into his room, with worried looks all over their faces, wondering just what had happened to the Seiryu of Konoha.

They had never seen him so broken before, so immersed in despair and grief, as though he had lost something close to him, and would never get it back ever again. That was the day he met Nii Yugito, the new friend he made whilst she came to Konoha for a visit with her sensei. They hanged out for a week, and it was during an outdoors trip that he was ambushed, by members of the Kamio clan. She had been bluffing all this while, luring him into a false sense of security.

And to be honest, it wasn't Ryusei's fault for wanting to have friends. Fifteen year old prodigies like him didn't have any friends, apart from the few that worked with him. He was quite happy to befriend her and yet she had spit in his face. Even till this day, they would remember the disheartened look on his face. They were fourteen years old.

It was a year later, that everything was forced to change…

"Ne, Kireki…"

"Hm?"

"Are you…thinking about that as well?"

"Yeah."

"Will he…"

"He will, I'm sure of it." White eyes gazed confidently into insecure black ones. The pink tinge around her pupils seemed to glow as Minagi turned her head away, "I hope you're right."

The moonlight silhouette bloomed in the background, as though answering their prayers.

* * *

_**With Naruto and Jiraiya……**_

"EH?!" Naruto stared wide-eyed as Jiraiya solemnly nodded.

It had all started with Naruto being bored and asking 'ero-sennin' about Ryusei's history. He knew that Kireki and Minagi were both elites of their respective clans right when they were young, having graduated at the age of seven, and were apprenticed right away. They trained under clan tutors and didn't form an actual genin team until age nine.

Their third member was Anko. She had been going through a really hard time then, seeing how her sensei, Orochimaru had betrayed not only her but the village as well. In addition, she was given the Heaven Cursed seal, and for countless nights, she had to suffer the pains, both mentally and physically. Minagi and Kireki acted as major supports for the girl and together, they helped her overcome her crisis.

Of course, the cursed seal had to be placed under control, and it was a young ANBU that had been given the task. Jiraiya had added that the fuinjutsu this kid had was taught by both the Yondaime and himself personally. Apparently, that had been Ryusei under the mask. That was the first interaction this four had with each other. After Anko discovered that it actually worked, she was deeply moved and was convinced that she owed Ryusei her life.

Hence she trained hard and together with her teammates, she reached the rank of jonin pretty quickly in her career. However, she had taken a liking to the Interrogations Department and with special permission, took the rank of 'Tokubetsu jonin', where she worked under Ibiki. Kireki returned to her clan and did her duties as a jonin shinobi. Minagi became a hunter nin, having come to dislike her clan so much that she wanted to be as far away from them as possible. It had something to do with the death of her brother, Obito, or so Jiraiya had said.

It was pure coincidence that the four of them were gathered together once again, where they had to hold a certain station during a war with Amegakure. They were sent as reinforcements to a severely handicapped base, and it was there that they all made their name. The other villages recognized their strength for the first time, and as time passed, they soon became known as Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_. It was officially announced by Sandaime and Yondaime after the war ended.

Then on that day, Ryusei came back with grave injuries all over. It would seem that Kumo had a trap under their sleeves and were disguising their trip with a more sinister motive. They had wanted to get rid of the only true heir to their clan, Ryusei. Luckily they failed. No one knew the exact process of what happened, all they knew was that Nii Yugito, the nibi Jinchuuriki, was involved. Minagi, after hearing about this, had ignored orders from the council and set off alone and ambushed the Kumo delegation, getting into a serious fight with the Jinchuuriki, intent on killing her for what she did to Ryusei.

Unfortunately, this sparked off unrest between the two villages and almost brought war upon them again. Ryusei, however, was the one who took responsibility.

Which leaded back to Naruto's response of 'Eh?!'

"But, but why did _he_ take responsibility?! Didn't Minagi-ne-chan – "

"It didn't matter who did it. For the 'greater good' of the village, a scapegoat had to be found pretty much, and some form of punishment was be given to prove that Konoha did want the peace to continue. Ryusei was kicked out of ANBU and taken off active roster duty for a year."

"That still doesn't answer the question though! Why was Ryusei the one who was blamed?" Naruto angrily yelled.

"Because Minagi was an Uchiha, and the head of Uchiha clan would rather die than let one of his kin be shown as such a disgrace."

"So because of politics."

"Yes."

"That's bullshit!"

"It is. But nothing could be done about it. You do realize how Minagi always seemed tense around Ryusei didn't you?"

"Now that you said it…"

"Back then, it was the first time that Minagi had felt so utterly insignificant and powerless."

"Why?" Came the curious inquiry.

"If Ryusei had scolded her, yelled at her, screamed at her or even beaten her up, she would have felt better. But no, all the boy did, was smile and told her not to worry."

"Huh?"

"And Minagi couldn't handle the guilt. She had just caused Ryusei to lose a year's worth of income. He was taken off the active roster and so the only way he could even earn money to sustain his living was using the money he saved up and doing civilian jobs. It was utterly humiliating for a shinobi of his status to do something like this."

Naruto shook his head, "So that's why…"

"Indeed. Perhaps the only good thing was that out of the four, only Ryusei could have survived that little crisis, at that time at least."

"You mean…"

"He was an orphan at a young age, and understood the importance of saving and maintaining a good usage of money, I'm sure you appreciate what I'm trying to say here."

They gradually reached the inn that was their destination for the day, and it didn't seem that long at all. The afternoon just flew by with Jiraiya speaking of the Shi Fukei's history. It was extremely intriguing and entertaining even to know more about his sisters and new sensei.

"And one year later, well, we all know what happened. Kyuubi came, Yondaime died, you were born. The council then ordered the Shi Fukei to be disbanded, seeing there was absolute no need for them anymore. Peace treaties had already been set up with multiple villages and hence, they were back to being ordinary Jonin. Ryusei however, left the village, charged with the mission of eliminating threats of the spy network, working alongside me for quite some time, before receiving solo assassination missions every now and then.

Basically, it was Danzo's doing, trying to remove as much of the Hokage's military power as possible. Kireki had unfortunately, in a combat with an S-rank ninja of a certain organization that we've already talked about, suffered from a completely new type of poison that harms the chakra coils and she had to be removed from active roster for quite some time as well. Minagi had set out to find Itachi after learning of the Uchiha Massacre when she came back. Anko stayed in the Interrogation department.

"Wait, so you mean he was searching on Akatsuki as well?"

"Not just that, on other Jinchuuriki too. He helped a few of them escape, try to feed them information as an anonymous source, delaying Akatsuki as much as he could."

Naruto thought for a moment and nodded. He should probably thank the brunet when he got back, seeing how it was mostly because of him that Naruto was still alive and kicking. Had the Akatsuki come any earlier, he would definitely have perished.

"Ne, why was Minagi-ne-chan away during the Uchiha Massacre?" That had always been the question that confused him. "Where did she go?"

Jiraiya merely gave a small smile, "She had an apology to make, or so she said to the Sandaime."

Naruto was about to continue asking questions when they entrance of the inn was before their eyes, "Alright gaki, that's enough for one day, won't you say? Let's take a break. You've got enough information to figure out all that you need to know. Just have a little think about it."

* * *

_**Outside of Konoha……**_

"You're doing this wrong Sasuke, you do not _force_ your element out!" Kakashi sighed in exasperation. Honestly, this was supposed to be a prodigy, one of the elite amongst the Genin, and to think that he would be agitated simply because he thought he should be way stronger…

What a load of bullshit.

When Kakashi had said, "There are people stronger than me, yet younger than you." He meant it metaphorically. There are exceptions of course, where certain bizarre individuals fit the literal meaning, yet all he wanted Sasuke to remember was that there must be a pace for everything. There were no shortcuts, and no sudden boosts of strength. It had to be done in the most basic way ever, to train, and train, and train. Simple as that.

Unfortunately, the Uchiha ignored his words and continued to force out the lightning elemental chakra and as expected, temporary chakra exhaustion occurred. His mind completely shut down and he fell into a state of unconsciousness, leaving Kakashi with a sweat-drop. He wasn't going to die, but the white-haired jonin was seriously considering just leaving him like that for the rest of the day instead of wasting a soldier pill on him. After all, he already took five. There was a limit to everything, one of the reasons why soldier pills were only available for jonin. Constant doses of chemicals that forcefully catalyze reactions within your body in order to produce an extra amount of chakra not only disrupted your control slightly, but would also cause damage to your chakra coils. The side effects accumulate, and it was definitely not recommended for those without a large enough chakra capacity.

Rolling his eyes, he sighed, "Obito, I try, I really try, but at this rate, I'm seriously going to go nuts."

Slight chuckling drifted into his ears as he turned around, faced with a brunet dressed in black, "Oh? Minagi probably wouldn't like to hear that."

Masking his surprise pretty well, Kakashi tilted his head, "And you are…?"

Grinning, the figure stepped into the moonlight, "Long time no see, Inu-senpai."

"Ryusei!" He started for a moment, before breaking into a smile, "Glad to see you're safe."

"Same goes for you."

"It's been quite a while hasn't it?"

"Hm…ten years really."

"Nah, we've met each other on missions every now and then."

"Haha, what I meant was, it's been ten years since we could really have a nice, long talk."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "Now?"

Ryusei chuckled, "Yes. When the Uchiha's unconscious."

"Ah, so it's about…"

"Yes, about a certain weasel-san that we all know about."

"I see…"

* * *

_**Alright, I'm gonna this chap here. Was going to address Naruto and Tsunade's meeting, but that will have to wait until next chap. Have quite a funny way of doing it actually.**_

_**By the way, I think that this chapter is useful for you guys in the sense that the history of all the four guardians are linked somehow, and you can now form a kind of timeline in your minds. **_

_**The questions you need to answer would be:**_

_**1) Who do you think were Anko, Kireki and Minagi's sensei?**_

_**2) Ryusei's reaction to Minagi from before and from the huge bulk of text above.**_

_**3) The hatred between Minagi and Kakashi (should be obvious, considering Obito is her brother)**_

_**I understand if it still seems vague to you, but I promise, it'll all get clearer bit by bit. That's character development for ya. About their fighting skills and strength, I would say they're around S-rank ninja. That's a given, seeing how they could each take on an Akatsuki member. Of course, Anko has gotten quite a power up.**_

_**On top of that, their ages would be twenty four for the three women, and twenty five for Ryusei. Kakashi's canon age, as are the others. **_

_**Also, lol, hope you enjoyed the humorous hot spring bit. I actually think that way is much more believable. Haha. **_


	29. Friend or Stranger

_**A/N: I'm getting annoyed. Seriously. If you guys don't tell me how it went, how the heck am I supposed to improve?! Now, take the hint, and start reviewing. **_

_**For those that actually bothered to read and comment, I thank you. Sincerely. **_

_**Other than that, there really isn't anything else to say. I suppose my late updating speed is to be blamed as well, but doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. Hell no, I ain't satisfied at all. DX**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 29: Friend or Stranger

"Mo! Ero-sennin! How long more do we have to go?!" Naruto was impatient, annoyed and extremely irritated. They had been wandering around Tanzaku for the whole day and other than training his wind nature compression abilities, it was an extremely uneventful day.

Though one could count the sight of Jiraiya getting stomped on by females in righteous fury after he 'accidentally' entered the female's side of the hot springs. But even then, seeing how this was way too common nowadays, it really wasn't that much of an entertainment.

"Ah shut it brat. You've been doing nothing but whining." Grumbled Jiraiya as he rubbed his cheek once again. That Kunoichi didn't have to hit so hard…

"Whining huh…" Naruto's eyebrow twitched as he was extremely tempted to ram his fist into Jiraiya's back, "This, coming from the guy who spent fifty minutes lying on the ground, savoring the feel of their 'holy' feet on your body."

"Damn straight!"

"…… I don't even know why I ever respected you anymore…"

The skies darkened as the evening approached, signifying an end to their fruitless search for the blonde female named Tsunade. Frankly, Naruto had absolutely no idea how they were unable to find her. Jiraiya made it sound quite simple. The moment you hear extensive cussing, people flying through the air, visible destruction of infrastructure, chances were, you've found her.

And yes, they did stumble upon _countless_ places where there were 'visible destruction of infrastructure', yet all they got were random complaints of a woman with a volatile temper beating them up because they laughed at her losing streak. When asked which way she went, they pointed a direction towards the next casino.

So the duo followed the directions and arrived at another scene of chaos. This time, people were indeed flying everywhere, albeit, they were crashing everywhere as well, but that was beside the point. Again, the blonde woman was sighted, this time escaping with a raven-haired female who was holding onto a pet pig. Where did she go? To the next casino.

Yet again, they were on the move. And this time, they even heard the extensive cussing, saw more people flying, and extremely visible damage to certain walls, and once again the same sighting of the blonde and raven-haired females. But the reply remained the same, "They went that way!"

So for the next four hours or so, Naruto and Jiraiya went from casino to casino to casino. Was it a coincidence that Tanzaku happened to be the city of casinos? Apparently not. Worse, this Tsunade character, or better known as the Legendary Sucker, happened to be quite a cunning woman. After losing and running away from a casino on one side of the city, she would dash to another casino located somewhere on the other side of the city, and continue gambling. Of course, she repeated her course of action for the rest of the day, meaning Naruto and Jiraiya had to travel back and forth as well. So it was no real surprise that the blond wasn't the least bit happy with their progress.

"Alright brat, what say you we take a break?" The white-haired sennin muttered as he finally spotted a small restaurant off the side of the road. He seriously needed some sake at this point. He would never admit it, but sometimes it was tiring to keep up appearances. Acting perverted and random was his way of shielding his emotions. Being the core that held a spy network together, one had to be either extremely predictable or unpredictable. Predictable being cold, strict, emotionless. Unpredictable was the one Jiraiya chose. Though many would beg to differ, given his constant acts of perversion.

Sighing, he rubbed his head. He had been thinking all day, coming up with all sorts of plans to possibly get Tsunade to join the Konoha ranks. He knew it was going to be quite a challenge, considering the bad history the blonde had with the village. Jiraiya didn't really agree with her actions, seeing them as a cowardly way out, but on the other hand, he understood fully her fear and anger at Konoha. She felt betrayed, as did he when Orochimaru turned traitor. It was understandable, but like Sarutobi said, it was high time that she got over it. There was just too much talent to be wasted by gambling her life away.

Naruto rotated his neck, sighing in relief as his muscles loosened and 'pops' were heard from the bones. Finally a break. A food break. Plus Sake.

"About damn time." Sake was always good after a long day. Musing to himself, he couldn't remember the exact time that drinking Sake became a daily ritual. He supposed it could be when he couldn't completely cope with the number of kills he had and therefore tried to use Sake to numb himself. However, this act soon proved to be futile, seeing how Kyuubi's chakra was away to completely nullify any virus and bacteria that were acting on his immune system, which meant that mere chemicals would be broken down even before it got absorbed into the blood. Naruto shook his head as he remembered the number of times he held a drinking contest with Anko and walked away the champion. That woman just didn't understand that he _couldn't_ possibly get drunk.

Pushing the door open, he stepped in, eager to find a seat. His legs were quite sore and looking at the weary Ero-sennin, he was sure that he felt the same. Though for different reasons. Wind manipulation required extreme concentration, and because Naruto was training on compressing the chakra, he needed his legs to constantly expel chakra through the tenketsu on his foot to keep him anchored onto the ground as he walked about.

Interestingly enough, the first sight to grace his cerulean orbs was blonde hair. In pigtails. Two of them. Moving down with his line of gaze, he saw that she wore a green robe with the kanji 'gamble' on the back. And at the moment, the woman removed that particular robe with a sigh and the necklace she wore came into view. Definitely the crystal of the Shodai Hokage. And finally, the most obvious evidence of all…

"You've got to be kidding me…" Naruto mumbled as he closed his eyes, not believing that the huge bust he just saw belonged to a woman of age fifty. There was just no, bloody, way.

But then, fate always liked to teach him the meaning of irony.

Sure enough, Jiraiya's triumphant shout with his finger pointing directly at the woman Naruto had been observing for the past twenty seconds, "Tsunade!"

Apparently hearing her name, the woman raised an eyebrow and turned around, before staring wide-eyed at the person before her, "Jiraiya?!"

* * *

_**Elsewhere……**_

Dark cloaks billowed as they travelled down the road, silently through the night. Cold onyx eyes stared over the village, "Tanzaku…"

His companion grumbled about not being able to rest, "Mind resting _now_?"

"Unfortunately know, we have to comb this terrain to ensure that we have the utmost advantage in our combat."

The blue-skinned character shrugged, "I don't even understand why you're so serious. It's not like we're going to kill the brat."

"Even so, a test of his skills is required."

"You and your obsession with skills." Moving his Zanbato off his shoulder, he stared at the bustling city, "Have to say, I miss that kinda life."

The former shinobi closed his eyes, before shaking his head, "Come, there's no point dwelling on the past. We have an important mission ahead of us."

Opening his eyes, he revealed blood red orbs with three tomoes in each of them, "Uzumaki, I hope you live up to your expectations."

* * *

_**Back in Tanzaku……**_

Today's been absolutely hectic. Her luck was even worse than before, and the very fact that she kept on losing in every single casino proved it. Of course, it was one of the reasons as to why she was so pissed at people blocking her way. Couldn't they see that she had money to make?! Did they think she _enjoyed_ paying debts off?

Hell no.

Worse still, she had this creepy feeling that she was being stalked. Were they debt collectors? Assassins? Or even rapists?!

………

Nah, not possible. Her imagination was running a bit wild here, but that could be due to the sake she had been drinking. Speaking of which, she was kinda running low on her supply, and seeing how they had been running back and forth the city all day, she figured that they deserved a break.

Shizune was more than happy to comply with her sensei's wishes, as was Ton-Ton, with its enthusiastic "puhi", and so they found themselves in this humble little restaurant, enjoying some well-deserved dinner and good old Sake.

_This is the life_, mused Tsunade as she swallowed yet another gulp of the delicious alcohol. Her daily routine consisted of travelling, gambling, eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, drinking and oh, did she mention gambling?

She had long since placed the past behind her and was looking forward to the future. No more fighting, no more blood, no more deaths… Her eyes hardened as images rose from her memories and began to torment her once more. Shaking slightly, she tightened her grip on the Sake cup and took another gulp. _Calm down…_ was all she could think to herself as she forcefully pushed those nightmares back into the depths of her mind.

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune looked on sadly as she watched her mentor suppress her inner fears. She had been apprenticed to Tsunade since age nine, and had left Konoha with her, travelling by her side all this time, training under her in the arts of healing. The world of medicine was extremely vast, and for a little girl like her, it showed endless opportunities and possibilities, mesmerizing her with the effects a chemical could have on a human anatomy by merely adding a functional group onto it. Poison itself was nothing spectacular at all. It was simply another type of drug, granted, it was meant to kill, but at the end of the day, the stuff it was made up off had to be the same chemical compounds that a medic studied through their life.

Over the years, she had really developed into a fine young woman, and though she wouldn't say she was far from being on the same level as Tsunade, she was at least a jonin-leveled shinobi. Despite her meek and shy personality, her profession would cause her to undergo a hundred and eighty degree change whenever the situation called for it. Being a medic meant having a clear mind at all times, pin-point precision and chakra control, along with the ability to make decisions on the spot. It was really tough at first, seeing how Tsunade had to almost beat the shyness out of her to get her to realize how serious the profession of a medic was.

Shizune truly thanked her mentor for taking that much time in molding her to what she was today. Granted, she had her fair share of headaches when Tsunade got into a serious gambling mood, and she was the responsible one out of the two, meaning the one who was the 'treasurer' of their belongings; but even so, she would never forget the wonderful times they had together. She remembered an exact same scene when she was little, and had curiously asked Tsunade why she was shaking as she drank Sake. The reply would be etched into her memory forever, "_To forget…_"

Her little mind had registered the fact that for her to drink Sake, it would mean that she had bad stuff happening to her, so if she forbid her to drink alcohol, everything would be fine, right? So it was with quite a determination that she announced this goal to Tsunade, which caused a slight widening of eyes from the Slug Sannin and a gentle ruffling of her hair, "_Alright brat, do your best._"

Looking at her mentor now, Shizune was pretty sure that Tsunade forgot about that scene, seeing how she always whined and complained when Shizune hid her Sake stash somewhere, preventing her from accessing anymore of it, knowing that in a drunken haze, she would definitely go gamble again.

Shaking her head in amusement, she was about to berate Tsunade once again for her gambling addictions again, just like she did everyday, when the door to the restaurant opened. A young blond teenager of age around thirteen to fourteen-ish entered followed by an old man with long spiky white hair. They were quite the peculiar pair, and seemed almost like father and son. Though she supposed it was because both of them held similar weary looks on their faces while the young one had one akin to exasperation. He soon cheered up though as he looked around for an empty seat.

Shizune stifled a gasp as the old man's face came into view. She knew who he was. And the fact that his eyes were centered right on their table was enough to prove that yes, he was looking for them. His triumphant cry of "Tsunade!" reached them in a second and as expected, her mentor almost spit out her Sake in surprise at this sudden visit she got from her old teammate.

"Jiraiya?!"

* * *

_**In Konoha……**_

Multiple explosions were heard from the training grounds as Ryusei had a ninjutsu match against Minagi. It was a request from both Sakura and Ino, seeing how the two girls had been pushed to their limits, forcing them to surpass themselves, and in return, they wanted to at least witness the strength of their sensei.

Not to mean that they had forgotten about Anko. Far from it. They visited her every single day, bringing her new flowers from Ino's shop, and using their free time, they would always dictate their training details to their sensei whilst holding her hands, as though chatting like they normally would. At first, these visits felt extremely depressing, especially for Ino, who just couldn't bear to see their usually active sensei bedridden and unconscious. The paleness of her skin frightened her as well, and the need to see her revived grew stronger than ever. Sakura felt helpless. She studied medic-jutsu before, and hence, had some understanding as to the depth of Anko's injuries. It was horrible to just sit there and watch one of your precious people withering away, while you weren't able to do anything.

However, Kireki made a good point. _Turn your sorrow into determination, and your agony into motivation. _

That was exactly what they did. They were improving by leaps and bounds, and after a while, it became a ritual to report their gains to Anko, as though ensuring her that they definitely were not slacking off and that she had nothing to worry about.

What really surprised them though, was the number of times Kakashi actually came to visit Anko. He was supposed to be outside of the village, training Sasuke, and the fact that it was indeed the 'real' him that came brought more confusion to the girls. The silver-haired man wasn't even reading his porn like he usually would. He would sit by her side, hold her hand, and stare at her face. He didn't say anything, nor did he do anything else, yet the expression on his face was enough to show his inner turmoil.

Sakura and Ino knew that Kakashi held Anko in amore to some extent, but for him to spend so much time for her, it really said a lot. He looked like he was repenting, for what they didn't know, but always as he left, he would smile warmly and thank them for looking after her. They in turn, would bow respectfully and thank him back.

Even Minagi somewhat softened in her gazes towards the white-haired jonin after seeing him looking after Anko like that. He didn't meet her gaze, just like before, and as always, he would hold his head low as he moved past her, as though guilty of something. It was only when Ryusei sighed and halted Kakashi's movement, forced him over to Minagi, and told him to 'be a man', that the two sorted it out. Apparently, Kakashi made a long, detailed apology for something that Kireki kept secret, and regarding Anko, he wanted their permission to take care of her from now on, not just as a colleague, but as a lover. His determined gaze eventually won out, or so Kireki described with much amusement and Minagi relented, forgiving the white-haired man for whatever sins he committed years ago.

That episode being over, Sakura and Ino were then asked what they would like as a reward for their hard training, and after much debate, the two decided that a ninjutsu match between Minagi and Ryusei would be a very satisfying reward. So that brought us to where they were now.

"Katon: Saika no jutsu! _(Fire Element: Chaotic Flames technique)_" A concentrated blast of fire was aimed directly at Ryusei, who merely sent his very own 'Hiken' _(Flame Fist)_ at it, nullifying the attack. It was well known that Uchiha had a superior control over fire, but it was clear to anyone that Ryusei didn't just control that element. It was if he was the element itself. Flames reacting to his simplest call, with barely any hand-seals necessary, mesmerizing and deadly.

Minagi rolled her eyes as she got out of her battle stance and crossed her arms before her chest, "There really is no point in putting on a show if all you do is cancel out our attacks."

"So you're suggesting that I get burnt to a crisp while you show off your Kunoichi skills," deadpanned the brunet, "Very charming Minagi."

A smirk grew on her face as she ran slender fingers through her hair, "I know, I'm surprised at how amazing I am as well."

Shaking his head in exasperation, Ryusei spoke up, "Girl, as much as I like to think that, we all know it's not true."

Onyx eyes narrowed in a second, "What was that?" Her tone changed from soft to deadly without warning at all, the glint from the kunai she was fingering didn't seem all too reassuring as well.

Ryusei grinned and fazed from his spot, causing said Uchiha to swear as she quickly yelled out, "Katon: Hisen Heki! _(Fire Element: Fire Spin Encampment)_" Blowing out a burst of fire, and with extreme control, she formed a human-sized sphere around her body, completely shielding her from any attacks that were to come. To others, this may have worked perfectly, but unfortunately, her opponent was Ryusei…

"Futile effort," he smirked as he traced a circle with his right arm and slammed it right onto the fire shield, "Kouryuu Arikai! _(Proud Dragon Repents)_" The sheer impact due to the force behind this attack shattered the shield, rendering it utterly useless, but apparently, Minagi had already foreseen this and quickly emitted her own chakra burst to shed the physical burden from her torso the moment he attacked.

Ryusei barely gave her any time to breathe. Leaping into the air, he held his left arm back, charging it up with chakra and slammed it right at her head, "Hiryuu Zaiten! _(Flying Dragon in the sky)_"

Minagi gritted her teeth as she yelled out, "This is a _ninjutsu_ fight! Not a taijutsu one! You cheater! Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu! _(Fire Element: Grand Fireball technique)_" The flames collided right on with the chakra pulse, causing a loud explosion to occur.

Instantly activating her sharingan, Minagi scanned the surroundings, ready to detect any movement from her 'mischievous' teammate. This was ridiculous, to think that he would spring that set of taijutsu on her. Who was she kidding? There was no way she could take eighteen palms in one go. And he said _she_ wanted to show off. What a hypocrite.

Suddenly detecting chakra burst from the right side, she leaned backwards and before anyone Sakura and Ino could even see what was happening, a huge clash of chakra was heard in the air, with Minagi staring coldly into the forest, her sharingan spinning wildly.

"What the…what happened?" muttered Sakura as she replayed the scene in her head. All she could remember was the Uchiha slightly angling her body, before…

Emerald orbs focused on Minagi's feet, and sure enough, they were at a slightly different position compared to before. Raising both eyebrows, she blurted out, "No way! I didn't even see her leg move!"

Kireki chuckled as she saw the bewildered look on Ino's face that clearly said 'what?', and answered Sakura's question, "Yes. There is a reason why Minagi has to operate her sharingan in order to utilize this taijutsu style. Jonei Kyaku _(Shadow Legs)_ is a style unique to her, and can only be executed with the help of sharingan."

"Eh? But I thought Sharingan was only useful for copying ninjutsu and detecting attacks…" Piped Ino, as she scrunched up her face in thought, "How is it that she requires…oh!"

Kireki nodded, "Yes, her sharingan allows her to pinpoint the exact timing required to counter the attack, the precise location of the attack and with supreme speed and accuracy, combined with power, you get the deadly style, Jonei Kyaku."

"So only females in the Uchiha clan could learn this?"

"No, like I said before, this attack is unique to only Minagi."

"Why's that?"

"Simply put, Minagi's the only female in the Uchiha clan to successfully awaken her Sharingan."

"Eh?!"

Minagi focused as Ryusei repeated the first two attacks once again, as though he wanted her to show the girls that her attack could in fact, cancel out his moves. And so she did, her kicks were so fast that the naked eye would barely be able to catch its movement. The hardest part about this style was to make it so that you can utilize the move anytime, anywhere. And on top of that, there had to be no other muscle movements to hint to your enemy that you're about to attack him.

Jonei Kyaku was a style that focused primarily on kicking. When one moved his/her legs, the entire body was bound to move in one way or another in order to accommodate this action, so for Minagi to reach the stage where even calm, collected shinobi carefully observing her attacks could _not_ seem to tell when her attacks would start was definitely a huge achievement. However, she knew that this was not enough to surprise Ryusei. Oh, far from it. Reason was simply because there was no way to get him shocked or stunned. All he had to do was repeatedly use those eighteen palms and sooner or later, she would be defeated.

True enough, Ryusei struck once again, with both arms were attacking, right palm followed by left fist, forcing Minagi to dodge the attack, for there was simply no way of knowing which side the attack was coming from. If wrongly guessed, the full brunt of the impact would not be pleasant.

The brunet didn't let up, and instantly followed up with his right arm, slightly curling his second and middle finger, expelling chakra from his tenketsu and sent one straight hook towards Minagi's chest, intent on paralyzing her, "Senryuu Muyou _(Hidden Dragon awaits_)."

With a slight yelp, the female Uchiha fell backwards as the attack successfully grazed her tenketsu and the chakra that Ryusei sent into her body was successful in disrupting her balance.

Sakura watched in amazement at the string of attacks shown to her. This was taijutsu on a whole new level. Never before had she seen such direct forms that focus on _both_ strength and technique. The only one that could even come close to this was Goken that Gai and his student, Lee, seemed to use, yet those seemed like mere child's play. Besides, they relied more on speed, and whatever Ryusei used just now, speed was definitely not something that needed to be worried about. The impact created just seemed so huge that it would be able to cover whatever distance required anyway. The style seemed grand and majestic, as though nothing would be able to escape from it.

"Kouryuu Juuhachishou. _(Eighteen Dragon-subduing Palms)_." Kireki answered their unspoken questions, "I think it's pretty much self-explanatory." Chuckled the female Hyuga as she left the girls and went to calm the Uchiha down, lest she go berserk and make Ryusei her new firewood.

"It's a NINJUTSU match! What the hell were you thinking?" roared Minagi as she tried to claw at Ryusei's face, intent on letting him know just _how_ frustrated she was, "What a show off!"

The brunet laughed awkwardly before giving up. There was no point resisting, might as well get it over with. And so he let go of her arms and due to this sudden lack of resistance, Minagi naturally unbalanced herself but extending her arms further than necessary, and she ended up in his embrace.

Her struggles stopped instantly, her angry protests swallowed. Ryusei himself did not see this coming, and it was pure instinct that his arms closed around her waist the moment she tripped. Crimson red stared into amethyst violet. Minagi's lips trembled slightly, before shaking her head, "Let go now…"

Turning her eyes away, refusing to meet with his gaze anymore, she quietly said once again, "Let go… Ryusei… I can't… You already have Kire…"

"Minagi."

One single word from him was enough to catch her attention.

"Ryu-chan…"

"Minagi… I…"

Biting her lips, she shook her head, "We've been through this before…"

"Minagi – "

"No, I can't… I'm not worth…"

And with that, she forcefully struggled out of his grip and dashed away from the area, tears in her eyes, threatening to fall any second.

Ryusei could do nothing but stare at her back, a distraught look on his face. He seemed to want to go after her, yet it was as though he were restraining himself. Clenching his fists, he almost wanted to beat himself up for being such an inconsiderate fool when Kireki placed a hand on his shoulder, a small smile gracing her lips, "Baka… _Go_."

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, before nodding and dashing off. Needless to say, Sakura and Ino could only stare at this development with wide eyes, wondering why the heck Kireki would say that. It just wasn't logical?! It was like she was encouraging him to… to…

"We were his fiancées."

That got their tongue. All the protests and questions they wanted to ask came to a hold.

_We? Fiancée_s? _As in more than one?_

Minagi's mind was in a chaotic frenzy at this very moment, berating herself for being such a coward and running away from the problem. He was there… right there! And she screwed up. It had been years since she had been able to hug him that freely, that openly. It was utterly frustrating to think that she had once again let go of her chance, because she felt that she didn't deserve him. Only this time, there was another excuse, and that was because of Kireki.

She didn't know where she was going, she had no idea how fast she was running, all she knew was that she had to let out her stress one way or another, and there seemed to be no better way than to dash as fast as you can, away from reality, away from it all.

It came as a complete surprise when a pair of arms circled around her waist and forcefully pulled her to a stop, and due to the inertia, she soon found herself rolling on the ground with another person, ending with her on top. Her eyes widened as she saw amethyst eyes staring back at her, relief shining beneath them. His quick rate of breathing showed that he must have put some effort into catching up with her…

"Ry-ryu-chan!" Gasping in surprise, she immediately began to struggle once again, "What are you doing?"

They were stuck together in a bundle of tangled limbs due to the fall they just had, and there was barely enough room seeing he was squeezed between the cold, rough ground and the much more forgiving surface of Minagi's body. Even now, he was able to feel the flexibility and the softness of her. All of a sudden, she went utterly still, as though finally realizing the significance of having him pressed against her from forehead to toes.

"Minagi…" was all he whispered.

She didn't even think of resisting as Ryusei's mouth closed over hers. All she could focus on was how his tongue teased her lips, how fire exploded through her so hotly that she thought she must be radiating like the flames she had so expertly controlled awhile ago.

The knowledge that she would still respond to him, and only him was overwhelming to Minagi as Ryusei's hands moved to anchor her. She made a sound that could have been his name as he teased open her lips, asking for further exploration, a deeper intimacy.

She didn't deny him or herself, where the heat and taste of him fully swept over her senses. She forgot where she was, or what had happened in the past. She forgot everything but the sweet, hot presence of him inside her mouth.

With an incoherent sound, she pressed against him, giving herself to the kiss, regretting only that she couldn't put her arms around him and hold him as completely as she had in her dreams.

After the first few moments of mutual exploration, Ryusei felt his own control burning out of his grasp, knowing fully well that he wanted to do so much more, feel so much, share so much, and yet it still wasn't enough. His mouth bit into hers, straining to be closer to her warmth. When she made a soft, eager sound in the back of her throat, it felt like the earth had caught fire around him.

He called her name, demand and apology at once, not meaning to come to her like this, half wild, control slipping away with each small movement of her tongue over his, his mind reeling and his body shaking, starved for her. Slowly, sinuously, his whole body caressed her while he searched every texture of her mouth with his tongue. This was Uchiha Minagi, his lover, his fiancée.

She felt the strength and urgency of his passion in every movement of his powerful body. Making a sound of frustration and hunger, she needed to feel his skin sliding against hers, all of it, hot and sleek and completely naked. It was the only way to reassure herself that this wasn't a dream, that she was awake and wholly alive for the first time in seven years.

With a low moan, she moved against him, returning the twisting caresses of his body, not holding back any of her response. She'd never been able to deny him or herself, even in her deepest dreams, she longed for him. Ever since that day she left him, she had craved for his love once again.

His teeth delicately ravaged her lips, whispering her name again and again in a litany of joy while he licked her mouth with tiny, hot strokes, savoring and caressing her.

"I used to wake up shaking after I dreamed of you," he said, "I'm shaking now, but I'm not dreaming. Tell me I'm not dreaming."

Reality broke over Minagi in a cold wave. "No, this… I…"

"Minagi, no more… please, don't run anymore…"

"You already have Kireki… I promised that I will not be a burden…"

"You are not!" Ryusei's instant declaration shocked her slightly, before she retaliated with an indignant, "W-what are you talking about?! I-I was the one who caused you all that misery! I had no right to be in your life anymore!"

Ignoring her outburst, he once again searched for her lips, engaging them, ravishing them, enjoying them. There was only one thing that he needed to know.

Despite her initial protests, Minagi whole-heartedly kissed him back.

_That's just cheating… kissing me on the lips like that…_

As though understanding her line of thought, Ryusei released her and placed his forehead on hers, "Minagi, you love me."

Blushing a deep crimson, the female Uchiha stuttered, "I-I, t-that is just… I-I me-ean…"

"And I love you."

If possible, she turned an even deeper shade of red, before finally relenting, "I know…"

Ryusei nuzzled her neck gently, and nipped her skin, "And?"

Shivering at his touch, she laced her fingers through his hair and whispered softly, "What about Kireki?"

Smirking, the Kamio raised an eyebrow, "Who do you think told me to come here?"

Grimacing slightly, Minagi shook her head, "I owe her too much…"

"Well, she said she's merely repaying you for letting her have me solely to herself when you broke off the marriage arrangement." Muttered an exasperated Ryusei, "But I know. I've thought this over many times, and discussed it more than once with Hokage-sama and Kireki. They agree with my decision. I am Kamio Ryusei, and you, Uchiha Minagi," He kissed her once again, before finishing his sentence, "Shall become my wife."

Staring wide-eyed at the Kamio, Minagi first chuckled, before laughing out loud at the daring statement made by the man she loved. One thing was for certain, he sure wasn't subtle about this. "My, my, and have you even asked me about my decision?"

Gazing lovingly into her eyes, he grinned as his hands reached for the buttons on her clothes, undoing them one by one, at an agonizingly slow pace, all the while sucking light on her left ear, "Well then, I'll just wait for your answer won't I?"

"Ah…Ryusei…"

* * *

_**With Naruto and Co……**_

Oh she didn't. She did _not_ just insult all the Hokage before his very face.

She did _not_ just call the job of a Hokage _dog shit._

"What the fuck did you just say, you big fat bitch?!" roared Naruto as he almost leapt at the blonde woman before, ready to swipe off her head if need be. No one insults Sarutobi-jiji and the Yondaime in front of him! The Shodai and Nidaime were her grandfather and grand-uncle for crying out loud!

Tsunade merely leaned backwards slightly, gazing at the blond brat before her in a condescending manner, uninterested as Jiraiya barely held him down. Not that he was doing a good job of it, seeing how her teammate himself was looking quite disappointed with her answer. Keh, who was he to preach to her about the loyalties of a village? He didn't lose two of her most precious people! He didn't lose all hope in his life?!

Shizune's head turned from her mentor to Jiraiya, and back to her mentor multiple times. This was just a fight that was waiting to happen. She should have known it would come down to this the moment those two entered the room. It had started off relatively calm, with Jiraiya and the blond teenager taking a seat at their table, ordering their meals and Sake, before chatting nonchalantly with Tsunade.

Her sensei then began to play cards and once again, lost quite a number of times to Jiraiya. And that was when the question arose. "Tsunade, Sarutobi-sensei would like you to become the Godaime-Hokage. Do you accept?"

She herself had no idea how to react. Tsunade as Hokage? As in the gambling drunk? The Legendary Sucker? As much as she hated to admit it, her sensei just didn't seem like a good choice. However, the words that followed right after got even her to feel a little distasteful at Tsunade's attitude, "Hokage is for dumbasses, about as useful as dog shit."

The kid's reaction however, came as quite a surprise, for she didn't think he would freak out that much by Tsunade's cold answers. After all, Shizune was quite used to them already. But then, before Jiraiya could even speak his obvious disapproval at his teammate, the kid had stood up and cracked his knuckles in a pretty menacing gesture, "I don't give a damn if you're a woman or not. I've had enough about pessimism for one day."

What's more surprising was Tsunade's absolutely patronizing reply, "Ha, fine then. Since you want a beat down so badly, I'll play with you for a bit. You and me, outside, _boy_."

Jiraiya shook his head at the situation on his hands and couldn't stifle a loud sigh. Somehow, he knew it wouldn't go smoothly, but to be honest, for Tsunade to be so openly spiteful of the village was something that even he felt was extremely inadequate for someone her status. She was the 'hime' of Konohagakure, with her grandfather and granduncle being the ones to create this village after all. Her ways of countering with her past seemed to be running away, and that in itself was a disgrace to her ancestors.

_Is this what you have become Tsunade? Has fear controlled you so much that all your teachings have gone to nothingness?_

Not wanting to continue on this despairing line of thought, he followed them outside the restaurant as well, wanting to see the shock on Tsunade's face when she realized that the brat was not all he seemed to be. Young as he was, this kid's got skills, you've got to admit that.

Tsunade completely ignored Shizune and Jiraiya's reprimanding looks and haughtily said, "Alright brat, first one to fall loses. Deal?"

Naruto stared at her in disbelief, "You serious?"

A disdainful glared was his reply, "What, afraid you might lose?"

Gritting his teeth, he narrowed his eyes, "Alright then. Don't come crying when you fall flat on your fat butt!" Deactivating his gravity seals, he was off. This wasn't just any normal opponent. This was Tsunade of the Sannin, top medic in the world plus a woman with insane strength, or so Jiraiya had said.

Without any further adieu, he instantly pulled out his arsenal of one-hit KO attacks. He knew he had but one chance, and that was to fully utilize her underestimation of him and ram one attack home. Deciding to use the fourth's jutsu to rebut against her claims that the Hokage was useless, he roared, "Rasengan!"

For Tsunade, it was absolutely unnerving to see a brat this young travel at speeds that her naked eye had difficulty following under a slightly drunken haze, followed by that familiar blue sphere of chakra perfectly controlled in his right hand, aimed directly at her back.

"What the…" Subconsciously, her body jumped into gear, her left hand instantly slapping his wrist, diverting that attack, before her right aimed a punch at the boy's chest.

Naruto seemed to have foresaw that quickly summoned up a second Rasengan on his left hand, and slammed it straight on to her fist, once again surprising the Slug Sannin. The jutsu barely had time to connect with the flesh before the chakra pulse emitted by Tsunade in her enhanced strength caused the attack to dissipate, blasting Naruto backwards. Fortunately, Naruto landed on his feet, and steadied himself, thereby allowing him to stay in the match.

That fast exchange of attacks shook off whatever drunken stupor present in Tsunade and instantly made her one hundred percent alert. This kid…

"So you even taught him that jutsu, Jiraiya. What's this? A gift in helping him attain that pathetic position?" Her words were aimed directly at the blond as she continued to stare at the boy in distaste, "Che, handing him everything on a silver platter."

Now that was the worst thing to say in the face of Naruto. No words could adequately describe the rage that he was feeling that very moment. To think that this _bitch_ had the audacity to say that _he_ had everything handed to him, when she herself was a bloody heir to the whole of Konoha.

"Oh really, I suppose that you being taught jutsu was just a waste of time, seeing how you wouldn't even begin to comprehend the need to help your village at times of need, you being your sorrowful self."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the cheek this boy was showing, she was a Sannin, and soon he shall realize the painful reality that there was a huge amount of gap in between them. Raising but one finger, she brought it down right on to the ground, creating a huge crack due to the impact of her attack and watched on as Naruto deftly leapt to the side, his hands already forming new seals.

"Ha, got you there haven't I?" His eyes were focused directly on the blonde woman before her, and nothing else. He was at a severe disadvantage, seeing how most of the attacks in his arsenal were too destructive to be used in this town, yet the lady sure had no problems with demolishing the road at all.

"Pitiful…" Rushing forward, she reached his side in a second, stunning him with her speed before he received a hard punch directly on the cheek, with the physical impact vibrating through him first, before the chakra induced wave swept over his body and sent him flying through the air, crashing right into a wall, almost imbedding him within that structure. Her eyes stared coldly as she shook her head, "You actually thought you could win? Brat, I give you credit for mastering Rasengan, but that's it. You've got nothing on me."

Naruto suddenly got out of the wall and landed on his face, racing at the blonde woman straight on, "Least I'm not a coward! I'm prepared to fulfill my dream, even in the face of death itself!"

Those words seemed to have an effect on the lady as her eyes widened, before they narrowed in contempt. However, Naruto ignored her and continued, "This is it! I want to be the best, I strive to be the best, and I damn well will be the best Hokage this world has ever seen! You wanna know why?!" Roared Naruto as he charged up Kaen Furea, gaining acceleration as he charged towards Tsunade, "Because being a Hokage is my dream!"

Kaen Furea in right, Wind elemental Rasengan in left, he appeared before her, intent on showing her the intensity of his attacks, yet this time, she flicked a finger each at his wrists, completely deflecting his arms before he even reached her, and rammed both fists deep into his wide open torso, showing absolutely no mercy, blasting him back with a huge chakra pulse, driving him once again into the wall, only this time, he slid helplessly onto the ground, struggling to breathe.

_So this…is the strength…of the Slug Sannin…damnit…so fast and powerful…I've got nothing on her…_

Shizune gasped and quickly rushed over to treat the kid's injuries, unable to believe that Tsunade would go this far just to punish a teenager. It was almost brutal and completely uncalled for, one of the reasons why Jiraiya instantly appeared in front of her, rage apparent in his eyes, "Why?!"

Tsunade seemed taken aback by her teammate's response, yet composed herself and answered in disdain, "Dreams are nothing but chains of your fate. Death is what follows if he does not abandon those silly fantasies. You should know better than me Jiraiya, after all, you know full well what Orochimaru – "

She never got to finish her sentence as she just realized that Jiraiya's palm was an inch away from her face, ready to strike any time. Looking at the male in front of her, it was only now that she fully realized just how angry he was. She had no idea that he would be hurt this badly, considering how he was always the happy-go-lucky kind. But for him to be this serious…

"Disappointing, Tsunade. I have nothing more to say." Slowly retracting his palm and clenching it into a fist, he walked away from her, approaching Shizune and motioning for her to move away from the boy, before lifting him onto his shoulder, and taking one final glance at her, "You've changed, hime. I don't even know who you are anymore."

And with that indifferent comment, he ignored the attempts at apologizing from Shizune and left her in the middle of the street.

Alone. Once again. Alone.

Just like she forced him to so many years ago…

Her body started shivering, colder than she had ever been, her hands draped across her chest, holding herself, trying to stop the shaking, but it was all futile. This feeling of vulnerability once again attacked her heart as she slowly slumped onto the ground.

Unpleasant memories resurfaced with twice the usual vigour, and the result was twice the pain she had to endure…

_What are you talking about sis? Being a Hokage is my dream! _

_I like this village very much. I want to be able to protect it. Being a Hokage…is my everything._

"Why…why do you still believe in that Jiraiya…? How can you still believe in something that doesn't even exist?!" She gave a desperate cry, yelling for all she was worth at the only teammate she had left.

The white-haired sennin merely shook his head and replied in the distance, "Because I haven't given up."

* * *

_**Hm… a bit dramatic at the end, I think. But I really wanted to show a different Tsunade, and put more emphasis on her strength instead of her fears. I want her to be cold, and indifferent to anyone until her outer layer breaks off. That makes it all the more meaningful for the plot later on. To be honest, this was how I would expect her to act. **_

_**By the way, if you think I'm overpowering Tsunade, you are right. I am. She is going to be way more powerful than the manga version. She is a sannin. I expect her to show the skills. So do not come crying about how there was no way she could do that to Naruto. You're telling me a fifty year old medic with inhumane strength is unable to deflect a straight on attack and crush a teenager of thirteen years old? Don't make me laugh. **_

_**Oh, and regarding that little fluff bit of Ryusei and Minagi, I am hereby telling you that lemons later on would be sorta like this, only going into way more detail (duh), so hopefully, you've enjoyed it. I made it more emotional as well, so yeah. **_

_**That being said, the battle bits were fun to write and hopefully, you understood the attacks and significance. I'm building them up for the invasion, so they are a necessity.**_

_**Now, REVIEW! Comment on how you think about this chap. I'll reply to any questions you have. Eight thousand words people, I think I deserve a little credit? -.-**_


	30. Slug Sannin

_**A/N: Hm, some of you asked about why Tsunade was portrayed that way. My only explanation was that for one as talented as her to be wasting her life away gambling and drinking sake, and pretty much doing nothing constructive at all, wallowing in self pity seemed like the only reasonable answer. Hence, why the extreme in views and pathos of her character.**_

_**But like I told some of you, it only helps make her change more dramatic. I think. Erhem. **_

_**P.S. OMG! I've reached chp thirty! Many thanks to all of you that supported me until now! XDD **_

_**Btw, if you're interested, stats for this story as of 22 September 2008 are as follows:**_

_**Reviews: 1150**_

_**Hits: 402647**_

_**C2s: 134**_

_**Favs: 785**_

_**Alerts: 1016**_

_**Alright, enough chit chat, chapter 30!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 30: Slug Sannin

A dizzy spell hit his mind as he rose from the bed, trying to gather his bearings as to where he was this current moment. Last thing he remembered was getting completely outclassed by that bitch of a sannin, and then…

"Awake now?"

His head spun to the right, and though the action did nothing more but intensify his nausea, he ignored it and blurted out, "What happened?"

Jiraiya stood to the side of the window, a solemn expression on his face. It wasn't hard to see that he was really upset this time. Sure, Jiraiya could be serious if he wanted to, but this was a different kind of serious. More like… disappointment?

Silence ensued for a while, before the white-haired sennin sighed, "Changes, that's what happened."

Naruto said nothing, because frankly, he really didn't want to get caught up in any more of this Sannin business. He wasn't happy that this Tsunade character was even a candidate for the seat of Hokage, but decided to not think too much of it anyway. So now that she's so obviously refused, there really wasn't much to say. Other than that, previous experiences with another snake sannin had left quite a few bad memories, making it all the more logical to stop poking his nose around stuff where he shouldn't be.

One thing though, this expression on Jiraiya just didn't fit. He seemed hurt, but not exactly that at the same time. Knowing him, it was possible that Tsunade dragged up the past or something as a low blow against her former teammate. Naruto wouldn't put it past her to do something like that, after all, from what she had shown, her personality must be one of the most disgusting he had ever seen. Completely condescending and arrogant, no care whatsoever for others' views and merely confines herself to her own imaginary world.

Just as he was about to speak again, a knock sounded on the door. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes slightly and turned around, "It's open."

To say Naruto was surprised would be correct. He did not expect that assistant of the great Slug Sannin to bow formally before them, (yes, them, as in Jiraiya _and_ Naruto), and step hesitantly into their hotel room, that apologetic look on her face all this while.

"Jiraiya-sama…"

Said man merely stared at her with an indifferent look, waiting for her to continue. Apparently, this woman noticed his cold expression as well and shivered due to the tension in the atmosphere. Of course, the curious yet suspicious attitude Naruto was currently portraying wasn't really helping, hence without further adieu, she immediately launched into her explanation.

"I'm really sorry for what happened back there. Tsunade-sama, she –"

"Shizune."

She flinched, almost cowering under Jiraiya's firm gaze.

"H-hai?"

"Don't bother explaining for her."

With that said, he turned his back to her again, staring out at the moon, "Konoha will find a new Hokage. The likes of her are not welcome in the village."

As harsh as it sounded, Naruto agreed whole-heartedly with that statement. Though it was obvious that this woman wasn't going to take this lying down.

"But Jiraiya-sama –"

"Oi." Naruto spoke up, annoyed that she would even counter their argument, "She's physically strong, I'll give her that much. But right here," He pointed at his chest, "There's nothing. She's _nothing_ compared to Sandaime-jiji, hell, she can't even measure up to Ero-sennin over here."

Shizune bit her lips, "If it's because she beat you up badly, I apologize for her, but she really had a bad past, and you reminded her of it, she –"

"Who doesn't?"

The woman's eyes widened at the simple reply.

"Come on, I'm the Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi. And you're telling _me_ she had a bad past. Look at me lady," He drew circles above his face, "Do I look like I give a damn?"

Shizune was about to retort, before a withering glare from Naruto stopped her. She knew that this was a futile attempt to get them to try and tolerate Tsunade, because even she herself was doing this half-heartedly.

Over the years, she had noticed the gradual but definite change in personality of her mentor, slowly drowning herself in misery instead of attempting to regain what she had once lost. In a way, the result might be the same, because those two will never rise back from the dead, but what mattered was that she continued to live for them, instead of wallowing in self-pity. But even so, Shizune followed her, staying by her side at all times, acting as her sole mental support, for she knew, that if Tsunade was left alone, that woman might finally break.

But what Tsunade said today was completely illogical. Instead of trying to find solace in the form of her ex-teammate, she chose to injure his feelings by digging up the past, ridiculing his disciple in the most demeaning manner possible, and completely insulting the role of a Hokage with absolutely crude language. Even Shizune had to question the way her mentor was thinking to resort to such methods to regain her pride.

"If she feels good by making everyone else feel bad, then there is nothing more that you need to say Shizune." Was Jiraiya's silent reply.

The black-clad woman gave one last sigh, before retreating out of the room. However, before she even got out, Naruto added one last comment, "By the way, do tell that old hag that I'm not the weapon she thinks I am."

Shizune turned her head around and stared at the blond teenager one last time, before giving a slight nod, "I'll relay the message, but once again…"

Bowing her head, "Naruto-kun, Jiraiya-sama, I apologize."

Silence ensued once again as she left the room, leaving master and disciple to their own devices. Nobody spoke for awhile, before Jiraiya turned to Naruto, "Brat…"

"Hm?"

"You okay now?"

"Yeah, somewhat."

"I should have stopped her."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "I assumed you did. Why else am I not dead?"

Jiraiya gave a small smile, "Cheeky."

"I learn from the best."

And on that note, the duo said no more. Tonight was a mistake. They understood the circumstances, and were prepared to move on. There was no need to dwell any further on this matter. Sandaime would just have to take the bad news as it was.

* * *

_**With Shizune……**_

With her head hung low, she quietly opened the door to their room at another inn, very far away from where Jiraiya and Naruto were saying. Tsunade would no doubt question where she went, despite the obvious fact that Tsunade knew damn well where her apprentice went. It wasn't the first time that Shizune had to go clean up her crap after she threw a tantrum.

Sighing to herself at possibly rooting two new enemies in what could have been helpful comrades, she couldn't help but shake her head as she felt Tsunade's accusing glare on her face as she entered the room.

"Where have you been?" Asked Tsunade in a rough voice. She probably had more Sake after she left…

"Walking around, sight-seeing, you know, look at the night view." Replied the raven-haired woman in a monotonous voice. She felt tired as well after the trip to Jiraiya's room, and the words that both men spoke reverberated in her mind, like a heavy burden, weighing her down as she faced the sensei she had once respected so much.

Granted, she still respected Tsunade, but really, that respect had been going down by a notch every single month. It's just impossible for one to continue having that much admiration in a character when said person was doing nothing but gambling and drinking. The harshness of reality just kept piling up, and sooner or later, a breaking point would be reached. For some reason, Shizune had a sinking feeling that it would be today where this mutual pact would be breached…

"Shizune, I didn't make you my apprentice for you to lie to me. Now, _where did you go?_" Her eyes were narrowed, amber orbs gleaming in the moonlight, glaring at Shizune in an aggressive manner, her temper volatile as ever. Crude language directed right at her companions, it seemed that she did not realize just how painful those words would feel to others, and the only thing that mattered was utilizing her authority and rank over the people closest to her and control them, to serve her, and generally make her feel better.

Shizune couldn't help but smile bitterly; _Jiraiya-sama was spot on with his analysis…_

"Tsunade-sama, it's enough. You know where I went. You know why. I'm tired and I'm going to bed." Without another word, she turned on her heels and headed for room, not wanting to stay in this atmosphere any longer. She was afraid that Tsunade might actually detect that slight bit of hatred in her.

Hatred that her mentor was exactly like what the others said.

_Weak. Afraid. Useless._

"Where do you think you're going?!"

In a flash, the blonde appeared before her, rage clearly evident in her expression, yet Shizune saw past it. The drunken stupor that remained in her eyes could barely contain the fear of her leaving.

She couldn't bear it.

Why?

Why didn't she just get over it? Dan was not only Tsunade's lover, but also, Shizune's uncle! Did she think that she was the only one who was hurt in that event? It's a bloody war! People die in wars! It's as simple as that!

"I'm leaving." Her voice was shaking, her eyes not wanting to look at the figure before her anymore. Jiraiya's words struck deep in her mind, and right now, all she wanted to do was forget this evening, and somehow go back to her 'normal' self the next day, continuing to accompany Tsunade on her daily gambling trips. Life would still be the same, no change at all.

_No change at all…_

"You're not going anywhere until you've explained why you even bothered to interact with those two!" Snarled Tsunade as she blocked Shizune's exit.

And suddenly, all the pressure that had been surrounding her gushed out of her like a broken dam, words sprung to her mouth, emotions running wild and before she knew it, she was sobbing and yelling and crying at the same time.

"Because I felt absolutely _horrible_ for what you did! Do you have any idea how bad you made yourself look?! You were degrading yourself, completely ruining your image, destroying your past, constantly shielding yourself from the future, and even in the present, you seek escape, you seek release, you want to end the pain that is causing all your suffering now! But please," Shizune clenched her fists, "Stop dragging others into your foolish act!"

Tsunade seemed stunned that her usually shy assistant would blow up on her like that. She was completely dazed by Shizune's actions, her words impacting her heart like arrows, piercing, gutting and rupturing.

"All Jiraiya-sama wanted to do was ask for you to become a Hokage. Was it really necessary to humiliate his disciple just to prove you still have your strength? Or was it because he had that same dream Uncle Dan and your brother had?!"

The blonde finally retaliated, "Stupid girl, don't talk about things you don't understand!" "Then why don't you _make_ me understand?! Why don't you tell me what you're worried about, what you are uneasy about, what you are being such a _bitch_ about?!" Yelled Shizune, all manners thrown out of the window.

A resounding slap was heard as Tsunade breathed harshly, her hand still held in mid-air, her eyes unfocused, as though unable to believe what she just did.

Shizune didn't move, her face tilted to the side, her cheek red from the force behind the slap. Tears were streaming down her face as her hair hid her eyes from view. Pupils contracted, her hand slowly rose to touch that particular spot.

"Ha… you actually… slapped me…" mumbled Shizune as she turned back to Tsunade gritted her teeth before sighing, "Get out."

"So after ten years, you slap me for _this_?"

"I said _get out!_" Snarled the blonde. It was unbearable to look at her disciple anymore. The guilt was already wearing her out.

As though on instinct, she reached into a drawer nearby and searched for a bottle of Sake, only to freeze when Shizune was heard laughing bitterly, "Looks like they were right. All you know how to do is escape… Well then, good night Tsunade-sama."

And with that, the raven-haired woman left the room, thoroughly bruised mentally. There was no point in going back to her bedroom, because it was just impossible to sleep after that ordeal.

Her rudeness was frightening, even to herself, for she had not once used such disrespectful words against her mentor. But somehow, she didn't feel it was wrong. That short meeting with Jiraiya and Naruto seemed to be a catalyst to her bottled up feelings.

For ten years, she did nothing but travel. Though she did fine-tune her medic skills by occasionally dropping into clinics and hospitals to help out when in need for the first few years, but later on, Tsunade chose to take the easy way, and could not be bothered to put too much trouble into it, and hence, all she could do was train herself.

At least, by that point, she was already low jonin-level, and hence, there wasn't too much fuss against any enemies. She could easily hold her own as an elite med-nin, but that wasn't enough. No, what Shizune was interested in was helping people, healing them and relishing in the fact that she was of some use in helping to save a life. There were no words to describe the joy that she felt when she knew that her skills were a part of this world, were necessary to this world, and that she was not the helpless, young and pathetic girl she was back then.

Walking along the streets, she couldn't help but feel tears fall down her cheeks. Why did it come down to this? Couldn't Tsunade see that everyone wanted to help her? Why was she pushing them away?

_Why was she pushing me away…?_

That slap had shocked her to the core, seeing how she had _never_ been slapped by Tsunade before. Never. Sure, she got hit and beaten around during taijutsu trainings but even then, those were necessary. A slap to the face was not. Judging from the look on Tsunade's face, she thought so too. She had expected some sort of punishment for being so direct in her words, but never would she have thought this would be the ending to that little incident just now.

Perhaps she was in the wrong…

Perhaps she was too cheeky in thinking that she could point out her mentor's mistakes and yell at her.

Perhaps to Tsunade, she was still the useless, pathetic girl back then…

"Oi."

Blinking, she turned her head upwards, staring at the figure standing on top of the roof in a daze.

Yellow hair starkly contrasted with the dark sky came into her view. Sky-blue eyes gazed at her firmly through the dark, finding her amber ones, peering past her tears right into her soul almost. She shivered at the intense gaze and stuttered, "W-what do you want?"

Sighing, the figure leapt down from the roof and landed gracefully onto the ground, beside the raven-haired woman, before shrugging off his own jacket and placing it over her shoulders, "It's best not for a lady to be walking around dazzled at this time of the night. You might catch a cold."

Staring at him with widened eyes, she tried to find some words to speak her thoughts. It was quite stunning, for the lack of word, to see someone who barely even know you actually care about your presence after their unfortunate 'misunderstanding' because of a certain blonde female. She had thought him to be quite a lethargic teenager, but apparently, she was wrong.

Maybe he was only that when he didn't like said person.

"What?"

Shizune gulped as his frown came into view. She didn't really want to mess up this atmosphere by doing something stupid, but there really wasn't a polite way of saying 'What the hell are you doing here?', so she settled for the most direct way.

"What on earth are you doing here?"

"…"

Okay, that wasn't right.

Clapping a hand over her lips, she groaned, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be so rude! I just, you know, I er…"

It was then that she noticed his amused look. Probably because of her flustered actions and her face blushing in embarrassment at her attitude against someone who just wanted to help her.

She stopped, _Help me?_

"Ano…"

"Hm?" The blond still didn't say much, deciding to watch her instead. He figured it was more fun this way. He had plenty of time, given the sudden insomnia that kicked in for some unfathomable reason.

"Why are you helping me?" Asked Shizune carefully, not wanting her words to come out all wrong like the last time.

He merely shrugged, "I figured something like this was going to happen, and seeing how I can't sleep, I thought I would take a walk…" His cerulean eyes glanced in her direction, before shaking his head, "Look, I'm not helping you so I can rape you later or anything, so stop looking at me like I'm a wolf or something. I'm thirteen ok? I'm underage."

Shizune could only gape at the way he phrased the last bit, before stuttering quickly in embarrassment, "W-what are y-you on about?! I-I did not think of it that way! Of course I know you're underage! I –"

Naruto smirked, "I think you should stop know woman. The way you keep going sounds too suspicious."

Opening and closing her jaws a few more times, she stood dumbfounded on the spot, trying desperately to find some way to regain her lost 'dignity' to a thirteen year old. Not to mention a lost in a match of wit as well.

Chuckling slightly, Naruto shook his head, "Come on."

Staring at his receding back, she tilted her head, "Ano…"

"What now woman?" Replied Naruto with a slight frown.

"Where are we going?" Asked Shizune, and as a last thought, she furrowed her eyebrows, "And can you stop calling me 'woman'? It's rather rude."

Rolling his eyes, he answered, "We are going back to the inn I live in. I'm going to book you into a room so that you can stop wandering around town like a lost soul. And also, what do you want me to call you? Shizune-baasan? You're not that old. Shizune-chan? I'm not that close to you. Shizune-san? Don't really want to bother with that kinda normal greeting, lacks creativity."

Completely blown away by the randomness of his small rant, Shizune did the only thing she could, "STOP!"

Judging from the smirk on his face, he was purposely doing all that to annoy her.

_What a smug little…_

Despite the fact that they've only met each other a few hours ago, Shizune had already reformatted her opinion of this particular _brat_ three times. First, he came off as a cool, indifferent kid. The next, he was rather nice and caring. And right now, he was just sarcastic little blob of sunshine that she would just love to strangle.

Finally regaining her cool, she schooled her face into that of nonchalance and shrugged indifferently, "I suppose, seeing how I'm older than you, you could call me Shizune-ne-chan." _Take that you little cheeky boy…_

To be honest, Naruto was not expecting such a rebut and hence, was stunned for quite awhile, before replying, "No way!"

With speed that he had not expected, Shizune appeared right in his face, a grin now on _her_ face, "Oh? Don't tell me little Naru-chan is scared?"

At that moment, all else went past his mind.

"_Oh? Don't tell me little Naru-chan is scared?"_

Eyes unfocused, he began to see an image of another person overlapping with that of Shizune's, "Anko-sensei…"

"Huh?" Not understanding his words, she poked his forehead lightly, "What did you say, brat?"

"_Ha! What did you say brat?!" _

Blinking and rubbing his eyes, he finally brought himself back into reality and sighed as he was greeted with a curious look on Shizune's face, "Sorry, I just… fazed out."

Not saying another word, he took the lead and left the street, heading for his inn, wanting to clear his head. He really missed Anko, and the way this woman got playful with him all of a sudden served as a painful reminder that he had done nothing in helping his sensei. The whole objective of this mission was to at least recruit Tsunade as a medic, but given the circumstances, it would seem that any attempt would be futile.

Clenching his fists, he glared at the space before him. There wasn't anything he could do. If only he had gotten there quicker, Anko might not have been hurt! If only he had used Kyuubi's power earlier, Orochimaru might have targeted him instead!

So many 'if only's, yet nothing he could do about it. His anger of that blonde Kunoichi resurfaced and before he was about to sink into further frustration and melancholy, a hand coated with green chakra was placed over his forehead, before another arm laced itself around his torso.

Before he could retort, he felt the soothing sensation clearing his coming headache, and even relieved some of the stress he had bottled up today. His body felt unbelievably relaxed, sort of like how he felt after Sakura gave him a med-chakra treatment.

"Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to make fun of you that much. I apologize." Murmured Shizune as she removed her hand from his forehead, "I hope that helps."

Naruto looked at her for another moment, before a true smile appeared, "I like you."

The raven-haired woman merely laughed at that simple statement and replied, "Well, I like you too. Let's reintroduce ourselves. I'm Shizune." And with that, she held out her hand.

The blond gave a slight nod, "I'm Naruto." Reaching out, he grasped her hand and gave it a soft shake, not wanting to give her the impression that he was still angry or anything.

"Ne."

"Hm?"

"I actually do want to call you Shizune-ne-chan now."

"Ah, then I shall call you Naruto-kun."

"Fair enough."

With a smile, the two ended their handshake and proceeded on their way.

* * *

_**With Tsunade……**_

One minute she was drinking to forget the past, the next she was smashing her bottle against whatever assailant dared enter her room at this time of the night. Growling, she mused about how the day just got from bad to worse.

Indeed, standing in front of her were two figures: A tall blue-skinned man along with a shorter shinobi with onyx black eyes. Staring at them in cold indifference, she asked with barely repressed anger, "And what, may I ask, do you two nukenins have with me?"

"Ha! You were right, this old hag does have some fight in her after all." The blue-skinned individual gave a shark-like grin, "I actually didn't think she would be able to dodge Samehada's swipe."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Samehada you say… Hoshigake Kisame then." Deliberately cracking her knuckles, she added menacingly, "Though you _are_ one of the best swordsmen in the world, I doubt that sword could withstand a punch of mine."

"Oh ho? Wouldn't you like to try?" A sadistic smirk appeared on his face as he too, cracked his neck, giving more than a few audible 'pop' sounds, "I say we take this outside."

Narrowing her eyes, she decided to use more than just words to prove her strength. With blinding speed, she dashed right across the room, sending a right hook at Kisame's face, intent on showing him who's the boss here.

As expected, Kisame barely blocked the strike in time, the force of the attack reverberated through his arm. "Ho! What power!" The chakra pulse that was emitted from the punch prevented him from using any of the defensive measures Samehada had, as the primary function of the sword was to consume chakra, and hence, by sending a small amount of the energy directly into the sword, it had no choice but to 'eat' it up, hence preventing it from doing anything else.

Tsunade made use of that slight lapse in reaction and sent another kick at the ex-Mist Shinobi and this time, she succeeded in smashing him right through the wall. Staring coolly at the remaining member in the room, she spoke mockingly, "How about you join him outside?"

The other nukenin merely stood there, unmoving, before he moved from the shadows into the moonlight silhouette allowing Tsunade to get a better look at him. His eyes closed for a moment, before opening to reveal blood red orbs with three black tomoes within the pupils, "I refuse."

"Uchiha?" Tsunade gasped, before regaining her composure, "Ho. So you're Uchiha Itachi huh? Have to say, great job in clearing out all those Uchiha nimwits."

That comment seemed to have an effect on the nukenin as his eyes narrowed, his tone deathly silent, "I do not appreciate your condescending attitude, Tsunade-san."

Grinning arrogantly, the female blonde gave a nonchalant shrug, "I do what I want and I say what I want. Someone of your status is hardly legible to even speak with me." Though she appeared calm on the outside, Tsunade was quickly running over the options she had through her mind. She could either fight it out with Uchiha Itachi right now and get it over with, or she could take out the blue-skinned dumbass outside first, before engaging with the renowned Uchiha prodigy.

"You're hardly one to talk, Tsunade-san. The things that you do make you no different from a nukenin." It seemed that he was playing her game now, using mental strategies to try and get under the opponent's skin.

"Ah shut it Uchiha, you know those eyes of yours have got nothing on me." Tsunade charged at him, raising her fist once again, ready to unleash the next chain of attacks. That blue-skinned man out there could wait. Even if they double team her right now, she still had the upper hand. Simply put, when it all came down to a match between taijutsu and ninjutsu, speed becomes the deciding factor.

Itachi evaded the punch, knowing better than to parry an attack from the Slug Sannin and instead chose to stay with his specialty: ninjutsu. Out of nowhere, a clone appeared behind her and sent a great fireball her way, leaving her with no escape whilst the Itachi in front of her blasted a torrent of electricity right at her face.

"Che…" Tsunade merely stretched open her palms and sent out a green chakra web, absorbing the energy of the lightning elemental attack, before rebounding off the wall and evading the fireball.

Frowning at the ease of her movements, completely unlike someone who had been spending the last ten years wasting her life away, he continued his onslaught of jutsus, only using the Sharingan to predict her attacks. The sole reason in not using Tsukuyomi against her was because this woman was had the uncanny ability to counter genjutsu using her vast medical knowledge.

Tsunade knew that, and knew what the Tsukuyomi could do. But she was confident that even if she were to be caught in it, she could break free. After all, genjutsu was merely a forced 'injection' of chakra into one's mind through any of the five senses, and by manipulating the nerve impulses associated with said senses, a false signal would be sent to the brain, hence causing the brain to read a wrong 'message' and function abnormally. The secretion of the hormone adrenaline because of the wrong message speeds up the heart beat of said person and hence creates a sense of anxiousness and tension that normally would not be present in a shinobi, making it easier to fall into the trap of the illusion created by your opponent.

Tsukuyomi, one of the strongest and most devastating genjutsu ever to be made, only able to be used by shinobi who have the Mangekyo Sharingan. Said to be able to draw out the person's deepest fears and torture them without trace in the blink of an eye, giving them an infinite amount of pain and terror before releasing them from this cage of doom. However, if one were to look past the flashy rumours, and think back to the basics of genjutsu and chakra control, one could easily break off from the illusions.

The main source for chakra control would be the brain. Nerve impulses travel along the chakra vessels. Instead of depolarization occurring at synapses, for chakra vessels, chakra itself would be the conductor. Hence the reason genjutsu could be such an effective tool. However, for someone like Tsunade, an expert medic, they would be able to control and manipulate every single 'synapse' of the chakra vessel. Those synapses are the tenketsu (_pressure points)_. Their constant interactions with surgery and chakra transfusion had honed their chakra control to the extreme, allowing them to simply reverse the flow of chakra at times to smoothen out any rough edges of chakra within their vessels. And simply put, they would easily be able to detect genjutsu.

However, the only reason Tsukuyomi was so lethal, would be the time taken for activation. By using this jutsu, the user maintains eye contact with the user for mere seconds, and from that exploits the differences in time and space within one's mind, using the outlying factor of imagination as its basis, creating a new dimension within that mere time span, dragging it out for as long as possible, and because of the changes in signals given by the chakra, the user follows the traps set by the user and is ensnared within the genjutsu. For Tsunade, breaking free from it would require her to reverse the flow of her chakra the moment the genjutsu was cast.

The only possible way of doing that, would be by reflex. Normal medics would never have such an action for reflex, but for Tsunade, having constantly storing and activating the molecules within her brain, that particular organ of hers now had the ability to deny and reject any involuntary actions that might hinder, change or disrupt the current chakra flow. On one hand, it would mean that the brain would have to be completely shut down if a surgery using chakra was to be performed, but on the other, she would be ninety percent immune to all genjutsu.

Itachi snarled as his attacks continued to prove futile and even the most elaborate of genjutsu sent her way proved useless. He really did not want to use Tsukuyomi, but it would seem that he had no choice.

Kisame had not come back after being kicked out and Itachi couldn't help but curse his partner's bad timing. Must he do everything by himself?!

"Where do you think you're looking at?" jeered Tsunade as she rammed her fist into the spot where Itachi's head was a second ago. Her speed was astounding for someone her age, yet it was to be expected from someone her status. Cursing himself at his lack of concentration, he focused back at the task at hand. Akatsuki gave them the mission of incapacitating Tsunade long enough to prevent her from returning to Konoha. Zetsu had seen Jiraiya and Naruto travelling around, and by simply spying on them, the answer came quick enough, they were looking for Tsunade.

Instead of simply grabbing Naruto right now and getting the Kyuubi first, because of the extreme volatility of the bijuu's chakra, and Kyuubi being the strongest of them all, even Pein questioned his ability in fully sealing it long enough to wait for all the others, and hence they had decided to wait for all the other eight to be collected before capturing Naruto. The whole point of eliminating Tsunade was because she was a threat, a woman with a vast medical knowledge would be an extreme hindrance to their plans, and there was always the possibility that she might even develop a new defense mechanism along with Jiraiya, a well-known seals master, for the nine-tailed Jinchuuriki.

"What's wrong? Are you afraid?" Tsunade continued her sneers, but inwardly, she was starting to panic slightly. She couldn't fully attack because she had to be on guard for Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan abilities, and this little game of tag that they had been playing proved that this young missing-nin did in fact have the speed and skills required to take her on. Hence, she did not dare be careless. Her offensive moves were always held back in case Itachi suddenly retaliated with Tsukuyomi, or even worse, Amaterasu.

All of a sudden, Itachi unleashed an arsenal of jutsu, one after the other, intent on getting her to open up her defense. It would seem that even his patience was wearing thin. Tsunade mused as she easily deflected or absorbed the attacks.

She loved that look of bewilderment on Itachi's face as his ninjutsu ended up useless when facing her. He still failed to see the technique she was utilizing, but really, many others would. Cohesion of chakra was one of the most basic lessons in medical science. In the end, chakra came down to being life force, or destructive force. The colour change would be the easiest way to tell. But of course, being a medic, one would learn to mask those and hence they were harder to decipher.

However, as Tsunade spread out a chakra shield blocking all the attacks, and seemingly absorbing them into her palm, that is but a mere illusion in itself. To put it simply, she was disintegrating the attacks, picking them apart by disrupting the cohesion of the chakra particles. The chakra emitted from her palm, coupled with the control she had, was able to instantly detect the form of the jutsu, and just like how antibodies work against antigens, her chakra disrupted the flow and structure of the jutsu, breaking it down to its simplest basic level – energy. Luckily enough, the jutsu that Itachi kept using were mainly fire ones, hence he did not realize the increase in temperature of the room due to the exothermic reactions of her technique.

Itachi ignored Tsunade's smug look as she took apart his jutsu one after the other, and instead, lured her closer, making her think that he was anxious. Making good use of the opportunity, he stroke, speed blinding fast, clashing right on with her punch, barely holding his ground as he pulled himself close to her face, and to her surprise, he stared right into her eyes, whispering triumphantly, "Tsukuyomi…"

Tsunade gritted her teeth as she chastised herself for her lack of focus. As the surroundings turned gloomy, she knew she was being trapped in her mind. Schooling her facial features into that of nonchalance, she waited for Itachi to appear, his satisfied expression clearly showing his ignorance to her abilities.

"You're caught within my genjutsu. Now, for the next seventy-two hours…" Itachi smirked, deeming it impossible for Tsunade to break free now, "You shall experience true pai – "

Before he could even finish the sentence, a fist smashed into his cheek, completely breaking his focus on the jutsu and sent him crashing out of the wall just like his partner did before him. His eyes widened in disbelief. There was just no _way_ that Tsunade had broken free of his prized genjutsu.

However, he had no time to react as Tsunade had grabbed hold of his head in an instant, holding him within her grasp, her chakra spread throughout his entire body, ready to activate in a moment's notice if he tried anything, "Unlucky Uchiha, that your opponent had to be me. Say hello to Hell for me."

Without even hesitating she exerted as much force as she could and rammed Itachi's head into the ground, pulsing chakra out of her palms countless times, ensuring that he's dead before releasing her grip on him. A wide crater greeted her sight as she looked around her, satisfied with this result.

Granted, it was a bit too close for comfort near the end, but she had been lucky that he had taken her helplessness for granted and failed to realize that she had not been trapped at all. Glancing down at the figure, she couldn't help but a feel a grim sense of victory as she admired her handiwork.

_Damn I'm good…_

However, that moment of joy seemed rather short for the figure began to shimmer and with a poof of smoke, Uchiha Itachi became someone else completely.

"What the…?" Her eyes widened, she grabbed the figure off the ground once again, staring at it closely, before frowning, "How in the world…?"

She hadn't even detected the extra layer of chakra hidden within the body of this figure and for someone with her control to miss out such an important factor was saying something.

Only one thing was for certain. Itachi was indeed in this town, and most likely still was. What he did just now was merely to test her skills and calculate his efficiency against her in a real combat.

Sighing, she rubbed her fingers over her temples, trying to get rid of an upcoming headache, "Why must things become so troublesome…"

As though answering her call, a loud yell of "What the hell is this?!" echoed through the air.

Rolling her eyes, easily recognizing that boisterous voice, she picked up the corpse on the ground and headed towards them.

She knew today was a bad day…

* * *

_**Elsewhere……**_

"Ne, Itachi-san, it would seem that the nine-tailed Jinchuuriki exceeded our expectations." The blue-skinned man got up from his meditation and gave that usual shark-like grin as he picked up Samehada, "To be able to defeat thirty percent of me that easily, I shiver in anticipation for our match."

Itachi slowly opened his eyes, carefully going through the battle once again. Tsunade was strong, very much so, and if he wanted any chance to win, he would have to be extremely careful tomorrow.

"As expected from the Slug Sannin, she is unrelentingly ruthless." Quietly brushing the dirt off his cloak, he motioned to Kisame, "Come, we have expended enough energy today."

"Heh, indeed we have."

* * *

_**Whew, finished! Hopefully the explanations on genjutsu and how she was 'immune' to them was clear enough. There's a slight loophole in it that I will make use when Itachi actually fights Tsunade. I'm sure all of you realized what jutsu those two Akatsuki dudes were using. **_

_**By the way, hopefully you guys have picked up the subtle hint of what happened to Kisame and who took care of him. **_

_**Do note that I had specifically explained how she wouldn't be affected by genjutsu, and that there are exceptions to her case. Do not even begin to say she's overpowered. She's a sannin, and I expect her to have Sannin-like strengths. I'm merely expanding the ways in which a medic could fight. **_

_**The bit with Shizune and Tsunade arguing was a bit sudden, but it was going to happen anyway. The timing was right, I think. Who knows? **_

_**Review and tell me what you think. More action coming up next chapter. Until then. XD**_


	31. Apologize

_**A/N: Hm, as I said, more action this chap. And a few of you already indirectly guessed who's gonna appear other than the two Akatsuki members. Oh, and by the way, a few of you raised the point that Orochimaru seemed way weaker compared to Tsunade, on the basis that Naruto easily took out that snake freak, but lost to Tsunade.**_

_**Here's my reasoning: **_

_**Naruto was using two tails of Kyuubi chakra, plus Orochimaru's own chakra was down to about one third it's normal capacity after torturing Anko. **_

_**Naruto was underestimating Tsunade, and Tsunade of course, is a Sannin. If anything, I would say that Tsunade is the most deadly of the three. She can heal herself any time she wants to, insane strength, above average speed, what more do you want? Sure, Orochimaru has jutsu, but seriously, think about it, time is needed to form seals, in that time, Tsunade can just bash his head in. That was the whole point in showing the Itachi Tsunade fight last chapter. **_

_**Alright, let's begin. Reviews are still not very satisfactory, ah well, I'll just keep writing anyway. I enjoy it, so if any of you enjoy it, it's good enough for me. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 31: Apologize

Quietly enjoying the night scenery with his new 'sister', a muffled crash from the opposite direction caught his attention. Swiftly turning his head, he strained his ears, trying to detect any other commotion. At this time of the night, in that direction…

"Tsunade-sama!" Gasped Shizune as she took a step forward, unsure of what action to take. It could be just the woman being crazy after drunk and deciding to blow up a few walls to release stress, but even that was a bit extreme.

Using logic, he focused his attention instead on the 'muffled' quality of the explosion, as though someone wanted to hide it. Genjutsu, most likely. Before long, a second crash was heard and this time, it was pretty clear what was happening. An immense chakra signal erupted from that area, and it was definitely not Tsunade's.

Shizune was just about to rush off to check up on her mentor and help her with whatever danger had occurred when Naruto caught her arm. "What are you doing? I need to go –"

"Sigh, you're in no shape to fight right now." The blond shook his head at her obviously tired figure.

"Then what? I can't just leave her?" Shizune replied, trying to shake off his grip, "You're wasting time! Let me go!"

"Che, troublesome women… alright, tell you what. I'll go." Setting his eyes into a gaze, he looked into her eyes, "I need you to go find that ero-sennin and tell him that there could be danger."

Shizune started for a bit, before inquiring, "But, but, but why would you help Tsunade-sama? I mean, not to be rude or anything, but she did knock you out. Also, wouldn't Jiraiya-sama sense this as well?"

Naruto gave an exasperated sigh, "Man, you really don't know that pervert well enough. If I'm closer to the target than he is, he would rarely move his lazy ass half way across town just to check on something." Rolling his eyes, he continued, "And if you're worried I might sabotage your mentor, please, don't put me on as low a level as that."

Without saying another word, he leapt into air, releasing all gravity seals, and utilizing flash steps all the way, not wanting to waste any more time. The chakra seemed to be growing every second. Might be high jonin-level. Missing-nins attacking this town?

Clenching his fists, he decided to ready himself so that he could get right into it when he got there. Stretching open his left palm, he summoned up his chakra as he dashed through the wind, "Futon: Rasengan. _(Wind Element: Spiraling Sphere)_"

Hopefully, Shizune would be quick in reaching Jiraiya. If someone was skilled enough to place a range-based genjutsu which involved concealing sound, then he wasn't so sure he could take this guy on. To have enough chakra controlled to such a specific quality spread over such a big area to take effect required extreme skill and experience.

Seeing the figure appear in his range of vision, he pulled his attack back slightly, before charging forward with an even faster velocity, gathering momentum behind his attack, compressing the wind as he travelled through it, before ramming it right into him.

The blue figure seemed to have detected him at the last second and barely brought his blade up to block the attack. The force alone was enough to push the guy back several metres, and seeing how Naruto had no intention of slowing down, the moment his feet touched the ground, he emitted multiple chakra pulses at once, acting it as a speed booster, "RAAARGH!"

Unable to believe that someone could execute such a strong attack in mere seconds, the blue figure failed to defend himself properly and needless to say, he was slammed back into the wall of the building.

Taking in a deep breath, Naruto instantly casted Akiraka Jiseki _(Clear Trace)_ on himself, deciding to use the situation to his advantage. Before long, a man of huge bulk with shark-like features came stumbling out of the rumble, grumbling all the while of sneaky little bastards.

The bandages around his zanbato were slightly ripped, revealing a coarse, spiky layer underneath. The colour of the cloak he wore could not be seen clearly, only that it was quite dark, though the red clouds on it caught Naruto's attention. Eyes widening as he remembered Jiraiya's description of members of the Akatsuki, he clenched his fists and spread out thin traces of chakra all around him, ready to act the moment he was discovered.

This must be Hoshigake Kisame, ex-member of the Seven swordsmen of the Mist, S-rank missing-nin, currently working for Akatsuki. That blade he was holding, known as Samehada, was well-known for its ability to suck whatever chakra it was treated to.

_Heh, so that's why my Rasengan deteriorated back there…_

"Alright scumbag, get the hell out here. I know you're out there." He didn't seem to be in a good mood at all, not after having a stupid old hag kick him out and then a nobody smash him through the wall. His speed was quite impressive, that was it. Against Samehada, all ninjutsu were useless.

Not making any sound, Naruto refused to take on his bait, and instead, chose to wait for his next course of action. Narrowing his eyes, he inwardly cursed as Kisame began to form seals of an extremely powerful suiton jutsu.

"Fine then, if you won't come out, I'll _force_ you out! Suiton: Bakusui Shoha! _(Water Element: Explosive Water Shockwave)_"

His chakra materialized and soon, a torrent of water gushed out from beneath him, forming a gigantic wave, ready to crush anything in its way.

Instantly taking action, he formed his own seals. There was no way he could let this jutsu take effect. All the households within this region would be flooded, and that was something he did not need. Besides, giving this guy a water region would be suicide. He wasn't looking like a shark for nothing.

Summing up the strongest fire technique he had in his arsenal, he deactivated his genjutsu and rolled directly in front of the wave, his heads streaming through seals at a quick speed. However, the final seals of the sequence were changed slightly, fulfilling their need in acting as catalysts for a wind elemental booster, "Nigyo Kentai: Fun. _(Two Elemental Combination: Scorch)_"

What used to be a B-rank fire jutsu, Katon: Karyu Endan now roared to life, with the help of the wind elemental chakra pulses hidden within the fire, spurring on the heat. Taking form, the flames shot as one huge blast clashing straight on with the wave, before spreading out to every single drop of it, scorching them to harmless water vapour.

Raising at eyebrow at the kid that was standing before him, he couldn't help but shake his head. To think that he was already _this_ strong, quite amazing, and definitely worrying enough for Pein to send them early. But he supposed he should be glad that this brat could at least hold his own.

"Ha, flashy aren't you?" Giving a shark-like grin, he readied Samehada, knowing for a fact that the blond would not waste any time chatting with an S-rank missing nin. Just as he expected, the teenager dashed at him, left palm open with a whistling orb on it.

"Rasengan? Already?" Muttering in surprise, he quickly raised his blade, clashing right on with the attack, expecting the jutsu to collapse. However, the groan of the metal before the jutsu was disintegrated was quite unsettling. Remembering the whistling sounds of that attack, he realized that the brat must have used elemental manipulation.

Naruto followed up his plan without hesitation, not wanting to give his opponent a moment's break, only intent on dragging this out for as long as he could until Jiraiya arrived. Surely the pervert would have realized the level of chakra this guy was emitting. Though not as high as he would have expected from an S-rank missing-nin, he knew that the chances of him winning were not that high at all.

Kisame barked a laugh, before swinging Samehada at the incoming blond. He would humour him for awhile, before knocking him out. Simply put, he too was interested in their target.

Contemplating on using genjutsu, he shook his head and ruled that option out. There was simply no point, besides, with that guy's huge chakra supply, he'll easily break out of it. Though the chances that he could be caught were huge, there was no guarantee that Naruto would be able to sustain an illusion effective and long enough to have any effect on this enemy.

Deciding to try his luck with taijutsu, he settled into the Ryuudo Gensou stance, readying his palms with silks of chakra. Kisame raised an eyebrow as the kid charged once again, this time utilizing speed instead of power. Quite mesmerizing, and effective perhaps against someone of a dumber caliber, but frankly, he was an S-rank nin. It was quite obvious as to what this chap was trying to do. Slow his movements down with chakra strings, then go in for the kill with that Rasengan ability probably. Good thinking, yes, but not too effective.

Giving a shark-like smirk, he ignored Naruto's attacks and instead swung Samehada at all the chakra strings, simply choosing to dodge and parry. Finally, he smashed his zanbato into the ground, creating a shockwave and knocking Naruto backwards, completely halting his attack process.

It seemed that the blond had fallen unconscious with that strike.

_Heh, not too bad, but not too good either……_

* * *

_**With Shizune……**_

"Jiraiya-sama!" Yelled the raven-haired woman as she dashed into the hotel room, intent on getting the hermit to help Naruto in the minimum amount of time possible. However, what greeted her was truly an infuriating sight.

There was Jiraiya, snoring away in his futon, with a very messy sleeping style, hands and legs all over the place, spread-eagled and what not, and was that _drool_ coming out of his mouth?!

Taking in a deep breath, and telling herself to calm down, she took one step forward and was about to shake the old man when he flipped his body to the side, as though avoiding her. With her eyebrow twitching, she approached him once again, from a different angle, and once more, he evaded her.

Growling, she finally roared, "JIRAIYA-SAMA!"

In a flash, he was out of the bed, hands over his ears, face in a grimace, "Jeez, what in the world… Shizune?"

His look turned into that of a deadpan, "Oi, just because I spoke ill of that big-boob woman doesn't mean you have to torture me like this," he muttered, "I was having such a good dream, all the ladies were waiting for me… sigh…."

Clenching her fist, she gritted her teeth and spoke, "Jiraiya-_sama_, you do know that there could be an attack in this town by missing-nin don't you? You _did _feel that chakra pulse right?"

"Nope."

With widened eyes, Shizune gaped as Jiraiya merely scratched the back of his head, "Well, alright, I did. But seeing how Naruto's there already, there's no need for me to check it out." Laying down once again, he shook his head, "Jeez, younger generation nowadays, absolutely no respect for their elders."

"But Jiraiya-sama! Naruto-kun is fighting at this moment! He's waiting for –"

"Then he'll have to learn not to wait!" Jiraiya's reply was brisk and harsh.

Shizune flinched as his gaze landed on her, serious and solemn, "If he can't even take on shinobi of this level, than he should just go kill himself."

"But –"

"I'm pretty sure it's common knowledge to look underneath the underneath. He'll pull through." Shrugging, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

Shizune fidgeted a little on the spot, unsure of what action to take next. Convince Jiraiya-sama to go help Naruto? Or ignore this old man and help Naruto herself? Or go check up on Tsunade-sama?

Seemingly noticing her obvious dilemma, Jiraiya said, "Go see for yourself. By this time, both of them would have won. Go on."

"Huh?"

There was no reply from the hermit, only snores filled the room. Giving an exasperated sigh, she left, rushing towards the direction the blond went. Tsunade-sama could hold her own, but Naruto…

* * *

_**Back to Kisame……**_

Hefting his blade back onto his shoulder, he took a few steps towards the unconscious body lying on the ground, "Hm, I suppose I could take him back right now."

It was then, that he noticed the grin on his face.

"Ho? Smiling… ah… I see…"

"Yes, you shark freak, I'm having sashimi for supper!"

Chakra surged through that body of Naruto's and Kisame instantly leapt backwards, shielding himself with Samehada as it erupted, "Bunshin Daibakuha! _(Clone Great Explosion)_"

Leaving his blade to consume any chakra that might be harmful to him, his eyes widened as he felt two huge chakra sources from behind. Turning his head slightly, he had no time to react as they hit him.

Never before had he felt such pain as the jutsu literally tore through him.

"Heh, left hand Futon: Rasengan…" Came Naruto's voice.

"Right hand Kaen Furea…"

Gasping and coughing up more than a little bit of blood, he scoffed, "You sneaky little bastard…"

Grinning in triumph, Naruto roared, "Together… Rengoku Bakuha! _(Hell Fire's Blast)_"

As the name of the technique suggested, a huge explosion took place as the fire chakra scorched his entire being whilst the wind chakra sliced through his torso. The impact of the force sent him tunneling through two walls, before landing in a heap on the very outside of the courtyard.

Panting slightly, Naruto turned his head towards the side to find a gaping Shizune staring at him in sheer disbelief, and more than a little bit of awe. Unable to detect any more chakra from the fallen Kisame, he took in a deep breath, and sent a Kage bunshin over to check on the corpse. He had confidence in his move, and was pretty sure that it could have rivaled the legendary lightning assassination attack Raikiri of Kakashi's.

"What are you doing here? Where's that pervert?" Muttered Naruto as he tried to recover from the fatigue that his body was experiencing.

_Damn the insomnia for acting up at such an inopportune timing. Bloody hell… I need rest damnit…_

Shizune could not get over the shock of the sight she had just witnessed. There was simply no way for her to believe that a mere thirteen year old had just executed such a deadly ninjutsu attack. The amount of control and chakra required to pull it off must have been…

Suddenly remembering that fight he had with Tsunade, that was the exact same position he had been in when he readied his attacks. If Tsunade hadn't been quick enough to smash him into the wall, who knew what might have happened…

"Hello? I'm talking to you here?"

"A-ah, right. Sorry, I spaced out." Shizune gave an apologetic bow before replying, "Jiraiya-sama said he'll leave this one to you."

Sighing, Naruto grumbled, "Keh, that old piece of shit. Was he sleeping?"

Quite surprised at the language this teenager was using on his mentor, she gave a blank nod, only to be greeted with more _interesting_ vocabulary.

"Bloody ero-sennin. This is bullshit. Why should I do all the work while he gets all the credit?!" The blond was about to get stated on a huge rant when he started, before narrowing his eyes in the direction of the 'corpse'.

"What's wrong Naruto-kun?" Shizune inquired, not understanding the reason for his sudden seriousness. She readied her palms with medical chakra and was about to begin healing the blond before he stopped her.

Looking at him questioningly, she followed his gaze and noticed the slight hazing of chakra around the 'corpse' and after a few seconds, the exterior faded away, only to reveal someone entirely different to whom it was before.

"What the hell is going on?!" Naruto roared in annoyance as he rushed over to the figure, seeing a complete stranger dead in place of what should have been Kisame. Gritting his teeth, he gave an irritated yell as he fixed his eyes on the corpse, "What the hell is this?!"

Shizune gasped as well, unable to process this recent change of events. One minute, she arrived on the scene, witnessing with her very eyes Naruto beating the life out of that blue guy, and the next, here was this utterly different person lying on the ground, dead. Shaking her head in disbelief, she was about to try and calm Naruto down when an extremely familiar voice echoed through the area.

"That's what you call shape-shifting."

"Tsunade-sama!"

Calmly throwing down the figure she had on her shoulder, she brushed her fingers through her hair once, before raising an eyebrow at Naruto, "You did pretty well, taking on an A-rank nin like that."

"Keh." Eyes looking to the side, Naruto ignored her praise and instead chose to kneel down and examine the body.

Tsunade gave a snort, before giving him a flick on the forehead, "Ah move aside brat, you won't figure this out even if you had all the time you wanted." Swiping her hand over the body once, she created a chakra barrier around it and began to pulse light green chakra, tapping certain spots of the corpse, "Besides, right now, time is something we do not have."

Giving a huff, Naruto retorted, "What are you on about old hag?"

Batting her hand in her direction, she frowned as Naruto caught it, "Brat, I suggest you learn to respect –"

"Respect is earned, not given." Naruto replied, gazing right at her, unwilling to back down even in the slightest.

"Heh…" Tsunade shook her head, "Young people nowadays have no manners." Focusing back on her analysis, she continued, "What you see here is the product of the Shoten no jutsu, where the user is able to create a replica that has about thirty to forty percent of his/her power. However, this jutsu does come with a price."

"You mean," Naruto snapped his fingers, "That there is no way for the 'puppet' to revert back once they undergo the jutsu?"

Tsunade gave him a surprised look, before nodding, "Very good. I didn't think you would come to that conclusion so quickly."

Naruto gave a smirk, "Well, I'm not your everyday brat now, am I?"

"Keh, don't get cheeky with me kid. You've still got a long way to go." Standing up, the blonde rotated her neck and was rewarded with those relaxing 'pop' sounds. "Though I admit, you sure did a number on the Kisame wannabe."

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, he looked and her and said, "You're actually praising me? I thought I was just a 'weapon'? So shouldn't you be expecting this kind of efficiency?"

There was a short silence, before Tsunade turned her head and stared at him, before replying, "Are you then? Are you a 'weapon'?"

"Huh?" Naruto shook himself out of the daze at the sudden question, "No of course not!"

Giving a small smile, the blonde buxom woman answered quietly, "Then I apologize."

Mouth slightly agape, Naruto had a look of disbelief on his face. Shizune, however, took the chance to interrupt, "Ano, Tsunade-sama!"

Turning her head towards her disciple, she asked in an indifferent manner, "Do I deserve such praise?"

Flinching from her cold attitude, Shizune stuttered, "I-I'm sorry! I was out of my place back there! I-I apologize!" Taking a deep bow, she waited for some form of reply from her mentor nervously.

Eyeing her for awhile, she gave a sigh, "Get up, and stop acting so obedient after showing that much backbone back there."

"H-hai!" With alarming speed, she righted her position, only for her to grimace as her muscles obviously protested against such sudden actions after an emotionally tiring night.

Rolling her eyes, she turned around and walked off, with Shizune hastily following her, careful not to incur more wraths from her mentor. Naruto raised an eyebrow as Tsunade looked back at him haughtily, "Not coming, brat?"

Deadpanning, he muttered, "Since when was I supposed to be following your ass around…?"

"Since now." Her reply was firm and serious, causing Naruto to look at her more closely. Gone was the drunken stupor and overwhelming arrogance that she showed just a few hours ago. In its place, was the true stature of what Naruto would have expected from a Sannin: one with an aura that radiated confidence and authority, not a self-wallowing woman.

"… Hai… Tsunade-sama." Giving her a slight bow, he walked to her, and smirked, "Well then, lead the way, oh fearful Slug Sannin."

* * *

_**In the Inn……**_

Staring at the clear night sky by the window, Jiraiya shifted his posture ever so slightly as a new set of footsteps entered the room.

The door opened and closed softly, only allowing in the presence of one. Not turning around, he asked, "Why are you here?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she settled herself on the chair, crossing her legs as she waited for his inevitable attention.

Finally getting impatient, Jiraiya did turn around, and glared at his ex-teammate that was currently looking at him silently. "I believe I asked a question."

Not saying anything, Tsunade's expression was blank, with a slight hint of melancholy hidden within it. Her eyes were fixed on his face, amber scrutinizing those features, noticing the wrinkles that now appeared instead of the young, vibrant one he had years ago.

Giving a bitter chuckle, she spoke, her voice quiet and soft, "I really… crossed the line… didn't I?"

Grunting, Jiraiya turned back around, not even bothering to answer the question. His arms were crossed above his chest, his head slightly tilted to the left, the way his long spiky hair turned firm showed his obvious irritation.

Placing a hand under her chin, she continued, "This has happened before…"

The toad hermit gave a 'hmph', "Indeed it has, not that it was the least bit welcoming."

"Jiraiya…"

Narrowing his eyes, he turned on her in a second, his hair whirling around as he glared at the woman before him, "How many times must you push those who care away before you bloody learn?!"

Wincing at his direct sentence, Tsunade turned her head aside, "I-I…"

Not relenting, he continued with his berate, "Tsunade, I wasn't lying when I said I was disappointed. Look at you! The moment I saw you this evening, I myself couldn't bear it. You've let yourself wallow in self-pity for too god damn long!" Slamming his fist into the wall next to him, he raged, "Even _Shizune_ had enough and stood up to you! Do you realize – "

"Yes I do!" She shouted back, feeling the need to explain herself, lest the guilt that was welling up within her overwhelm her, "That's why I… I…"

Getting a grip of herself, she stood up, facing Jiraiya, "I accept the position of Godaime Hokage."

"What?!" Jiraiya stared at her disbelievingly, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Tsunade gave a sad smile, "Gomen, Jiraiya… I… really am… sorry…"

Taking in a deep breath to steady himself, he growled, "I already said that you are not welcome in Konoha."

"Then I'll prove myself." Tsunade followed up, "I'll show you why the Slug Sannin was so famous. You knew what happened tonight."

Shaking his head, he muttered, "Why must you always be so…"

"Forceful?" Tsunade gave a bitter smile, "I know."

Jiraiya laid his head backwards against the wall and sighed, "Whatever, I don't know anymore what to do with you anymore."

To his surprise, he felt a pair of arms circling his waist, before her body leaned into his, hugging him tightly, "I won't disappoint you anymore. Not you, not Shizune, not Konoha… and definitely not Minato and Kushina…"

"Trying to seduce me won't have an effect on my decision you know."

"Stupid pervert." She muttered, before releasing him and standing in front of him again, this time really smiling, "So, you know what's going to happen tomorrow. How about it? Let me put on a show?"

Jiraiya gazed at her for a few moments, before breaking into a chuckle, then a full-blown laugh, "Hahaha, now that's the Hime I know."

"Indeed. The wonders Sake do to us." Teased the blonde.

Jiraiya shook his head in exasperation, "To think that my invitation lost to a drink, heh, ah well." His gaze turned serious as he asked once again, "Are you sure?"

Tsunade stood at attention, "Hai!"

Giving a small grin, Jiraiya nodded, "Well then, tomorrow."

"Ah…"

* * *

_**Outside the room……**_

Tapping his foot impatiently as he paced the corridor, Naruto couldn't help but grumble, "Just what are they talking about in there?"

Shizune was merely standing by the side, eyes following Naruto's exasperated movements with amusement, "Naruto-kun, have some patience."

"Well, sorry, but tonight, my patience is running on real thin." Narrowing his eyes, he stuck his ear to the door, "They're not getting in on in there right? Because that's just wrong."

Eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, Shizune felt her jaw smash to the ground after Naruto's statement. "How, how, how could you even _begin_ to suggest such a, such a, _preposterous_ thing?!" Her cry would be shrill had Naruto not shushed her by placing a finger on her lips.

"Well, come listen for yourself." Shrugging Naruto grabbed a frantic Shizune by the shoulders and placed her next to him, before continuing to eavesdrop what little information he could hear.

The walls were pretty thick, and even with chakra enhancing his senses, with Tsunade and Jiraiya's original chakra capacity far overwhelming his, it was pretty hard for sound to get past the chakra laced within the room. However, due to his relentless attempts, Shizune and Naruto were both rewarded with this bit of the conversation.

"_Trying to seduce me won't have an effect on my decision you know." _

"_Stupid pervert."_

Both faces turned aghast at these sentences and stared at each other in absolute horror.

"_Hahaha, now that's the Hime I know."_

"_Indeed. The wonders Sake do to us."_

_To think that my invitation lost to a drink, heh, ah well. Are you sure?" _

Shizune was completely stunned by the conversation and her brain was currently imagining all sorts of R-rated scenarios within her mind. Naruto had a look of extreme disbelief on his face, for he didn't think that Tsunade and Jiraiya were _that_ close.

"_Hai!" _

"_Well then…" _

"_Ah…"_

"NOOOOOOO!!" Roared both apprentices as they used all their might and smashed through the door, landing in a tangled heap on the ground, both muttering absolute gibberish as they tried to stop their mentors from committing a _deadly_ mistake.

Just as their hands were waving everywhere, their fingers pointing and making all sorts of gestures, their faces anxious and indignant, they were greeted with a sight of two Sannin standing before them, fully clothed, without the slightest hint of doing anything over the boundary.

Jiraiya fought the urge to facepalm as the two smashed down the door. With an eyebrow twitching, he asked, "What exactly are you doing?"

Naruto gave a nervous chuckle, "N-n-nothing! We-we were just…"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, "Eavesdropping?"

"NO!! No, no, no, no, no, no! We wouldn't do that! Would we Shizune-ne-chan?!" Naruto quickly cut in, not wanting divine judgement to be passed onto them. The fact that she was cracking her knuckles didn't help one bit.

"N-n-no! Of course not! I mean, we wouldn't _dare_ intrude on whatever… private… matters you two have. We, were just – "

Tsunade's aura just got even darker, and Death seemed ever so close right now, "Just what did you two _think_ we were doing?"

Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, Naruto, I've taught you better than that. You _never_ eavesdrop one bit of a conversation."

"Yeah, but when that _one_ bit has enough firepower to completely annihilate all sanity, there wasn't any other choice but to believe it to be the only sole remaining fact and possibility that would occur!" Naruto retorted with extreme conviction.

Having a minor sweatdrop, Jiraiya sighed, "Now, I kinda agree with Hime, what exactly did you think we were doing?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Both made crosses with their arms and gave some nervous laughter as they squinted and blinked and made all sorts of weird faces at Jiraiya.

Deadpanning, Jiraiya grabbed hold of Naruto's collar, lifted him and threw him out of the window, before locking it and turning back to Tsunade, "Well then, the nuisance is gone, and I need my sleep. Night Hime."

Tsunade gave a small smile, before nodding, "See you tomorrow."

She then turned around and slanted a glare at her disciple who was currently sweating bullets and gave an evil smirk, "Come now Shizune, you have a _lot_ of explaining to do."

"I-I d-do?" Shizune's teeth could be heard chattering.

"Yes, now let's be polite and say goodnight to the great Jiraiya."

"G-g-good n-night –"

And with that the door closed. Seeing how their room at the other inn was destroyed, Tsunade had booked another one at this motel, and by luck, she was right next door. Screams of terror were heard as Jiraiya cursed her teammate for making such havoc.

_Heh, just like old times…_

* * *

_**A bit short this time, but it did what I wanted it to. I hope that action scene was up to standard. A little development in characters once again. Tell me what you think about it.**_

_**Oh, and I'm making it slightly different. Naruto and Tsunade won't be all mother/son, sister/brother at all after this. That will be quite awhile away. Currently, they are only on subordinate/boss level, probably even friends. But nothing more than that. **_

_**That's all I guess. REVIEW! XD**_


	32. Weird Things Happen

_**A/N: Alright, time to move back to Konoha. By the way, do realize that by the time they get back, it'll be two and half weeks over. Hence, it'll be only one and a half week or so until the Chuunin finals. I'm switching stuff a bit. Anyway, I guess let's just start with the next chap. **_

_**By the way, the chapter title below, I mean it in both metaphorical AND literal ways. **_

_**Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 32: Weird Things Happen

Yawning, Naruto stared at the wide plains before them, "Why are we here again?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "Tsunade wanted us to approve of her skills."

Rolling his eyes, he asked once again, "And?"

"That's why we're here."

"Yeah, but what's the point of being here? Aren't those two Akatsuki going to attack soon?" Stretching, Naruto looked at the surroundings.

"Precisely."

Getting impatient, Naruto muttered, "You just love those riddles of yours…"

"Ah shut it brat."

Tsunade was seen standing in the middle of the field, meditating as Shizune stood by her side. It would seem that she was preparing for the fight that was to come.

Last night had finally ended on a peaceful note, though Naruto did not appreciate sleeping on the couch in the lobby, he let it go seeing how it really was his fault for being cheeky. This morning, Jiraiya had woken him up with a basin of cold water, and told him to get ready. After that, without knowing anything, he was brought to this place. Naruto really did not comprehend the actions his mentor took.

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "She's not _waiting_ for those two to attack… right?"

Jiraiya smiled slightly, but didn't say anything.

Stunned, Naruto gaped for a moment, before finally regaining his voice, "She _is_?! What the hell?!"

Before he could continue his rant, a crimson fox appeared by his side, "Naruto-sama."

"Eh? Ah, Shinku. Spotted any enemies?"

"No. Not at the moment." Shinku's eyes held a rare glint, something akin to excitement.

Deadpanning, Naruto said, "You're not hiding anything from me are you?"

"Absolutely not, Naruto-sama." That glint didn't fade away.

"Somehow, I find it extremely hard to believe you…"

"You'll thank me later."

"… So you _are_ hiding something from me."

"Perhaps."

Sighing in exasperation, Naruto laid back down onto the grass, spread-eagled as he enjoyed the morning breeze, "Ah whatever, I can't be bothered right now."

Beside him, Jiraiya chuckled, "Haha, so obedient Naruto, it seems like you're the summon this time round."

"Baka ero-sennin, I'd like to see you defy Gamabunta." Not even sparing him a glance, Naruto scratched Shinku's fur, much to the summon's pleasure.

"Gaki, please, at least let me take on someone my own size…" The white-haired sennin grumbled.

"And you're supposed to be the _great_ Jiraiya. Don't make me laugh."

"Kid, you're pushing it."

"Can it be helped that I'm bored?"

"… You're such a brat, you know that?"

"I'm thirteen, I'm _supposed _to be a brat."

"…" Not wanting to waste any more breath arguing with his problematic disciple, Jiraiya resumed his meditation.

Suddenly, one strong chakra signature appeared in the area, instantly putting all four Konoha shinobi on alert.

"You're late." Tsunade frowned as she got into her stance, "Just because you are a genius doesn't mean you can be late."

Onyx eyes stared into amber, "Do not worry, Tsunade-sama. I am unlike Hatake Kakashi."

"… Who?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "Oh! That brat. Keh, you better not be, or I'll personally rip your face off."

"Violent as always."

"Shut it and bring it."

Uchiha Itachi seemed oddly calm, and as Tsunade ordered, he settled into his battle stance.

Watching the scene unfold before him, Naruto couldn't help but wonder…

"Ne… Ero-sennin…"

"Hm?"

"What in the world is going on here?"

"Heh."

"Why are they all buddy-buddy?! That is Uchiha Itachi oi!" Naruto gritted his teeth, wanting some answers from the white-haired sennin.

What he got however was mere silence that was enough to drive any curious person insane. Fortunately, Naruto had long since been used to Jiraiya's weird ways, and hence, was able to contain his disbelief. Sighing, he lay down once again to rest and chose to ignore whatever he was seeing, telling himself over and over it was just another nightmare. However, the giant blade beside his face waiting to slice in half had his reflexes not been good enough.

"What the?!" Naruto was on his feet in an instant, avoiding the continuous slices that were sent his way.

A blue blur streaked past him and before he knew it, a fist rammed itself into his backbone, sending him whirling through the air, pain spreading throughout his nerves as he landed roughly onto the ground. Gritting his teeth, he growled, "You son of a –"

"Heh, stupid brat, you didn't think that was all did you?" Placing the zanbato on his back, Kisame smirked, "Itachi's got that hag covered. So I've got you and Jiraiya."

The white-haired sennin didn't even bother to move from his spot as he grunted, "Pretty cocky there, oh fearful leader of the Seven Swordsmen."

"Why thank you." The man gave a shark-like grin, before pointing Samehada in his direction, "Let me show you why I have such confidence."

Tsunade frowned as she looked at Itachi, "You don't honestly think that you could take me by yourself, do you?"

The Uchiha didn't say anything, but instead, activated those famed Sharingan.

It was Kisame who answered the question, "Our mission, for this time, would be to take back..." Hefting Samehada before him, he smirked, "At least one head of the Sannin back to headquarters."

* * *

_**On the outskirts of the town……**_

"Keh, that bastard got away!" Sakura grumbled as she readjusted her gloves, before smoothening out her ruffled hair. They had been tailing that suspicious character Kabuto for quite some time after completing their training with their temporary sensei. It was supposed to be their 'exam' after the training, to show just how much they have improved.

"Grrrr, let's move!"

"Alright!" And off they went again.

It started out as a simple B-rank, where the trail was relatively easy to follow. However, it would seem that Kabuto had detected their presence and began laying out traps and various other obstacles to try and shake them off his tail. Thanks to Ino's accurate chakra-sensing abilities and the ever so useful mind-searching techniques, they caught on relatively quickly after each time.

The last two times, there were even instances where they had to fight their way through to reach the target. For some reason, Oto shinobi would always appear and find some sort of reason to force them into a fight. There wasn't enough evidence to say that Kabuto was one of Otogakure, but it sure seemed that way.

Catching on to him was always troublesome, and given the fact that Ino had to catch random thoughts of people on the streets to see if they had seen Kabuto. This was one of the reasons why the Yamanaka were a very-well respected family within Konoha. Not only do they sell wonderful flowers of all varieties, the mind skills in which they delve in had some of the best uses in terms of information gathering and mental damage.

Most would only think of Mind jutsu as damage to your opponent, or simply retrieving information, however that would be an incorrect suggestion. Damage would be done, but usually not without a price. If Ino wanted to drag someone through his or her deepest horrors within their minds, she could easily do that. But she would have to endure the same thing with them. The backlash of mind jutsu was extremely strong, and it would take a massive amount of concentration and energy to pull out of one's mind after administering mind jutsus.

Yet the thing about mind jutsu was that it wasn't really ninjutsu nor genjutsu, in the sense that it could be used anywhere, without any seal formation. Of course, with the increase in difficulty, forming seals would make the process much easier. However, the Yamanaka would be able to take advantage of the fact that whenever a person thinks, the thought is actually broadcasted to the surroundings. Thoughts, in a sense, are nothing but figments of imagination, as it acts as an interlude to your actions, allowing you to foresee many events before you make a decision, hence, your imagination. By actually reaching out with their own minds, they would be able to pick apart thoughts floating around. The requirements for this would be good chakra control, and a strong mind, able to actually distinguish thought from thought.

Ino would often complain to her father that what she received was a complete mash of information. And her father would teach her just how to pick it apart.

_Remember, you will always be the centre. They come to you. So as they come, you place them in a box. One beside another, and from the boxes, you take what you want._

That analogy had been extremely effective and from then on, Ino had been practicing. She was thankful that she had mastered most of this technique, for that Kabuto was just a slimy snake. Twice in a day he would utterly disappear, no matter where his trail led them to. And if it were in a forest, it would be even harder to detect.

Placing her hand on a tree trunk, she searched with her mind for information, and slowly, a continuous rustling of leaves came from the north, and with that in mind, she grinned, "Sakura, let's go."

"Direction?"

"Twelve o'clock."

Yes, she could receive 'thoughts' from plants and animals. They weren't really words, but more like instinct. Ino would be able to feel like that particular animal, such as the need for that animal to escape, or find food etc. It was complicated, and often misunderstood by most shinobi, but to Ino, it was simply one extra way to gather information, so she wasn't too bothered about knowing that technique.

Speeding up, they soon caught a slight sliver of grey as they rounded yet another corner.

"Got him!"

It came as a surprise that it would be them of all people to track down Kabuto. In fact, them even getting a mission during this month was quite surprising. They thought that it would simply be training hard and wait for Naruto to return in order to be his sparring partners. However, it would seem that Ryusei had other plans and recommended them for this particular mission.

At first, Sakura had argued that it wouldn't be the best decision, seeing how if Kabuto was a traitor, it would mean that he was a big threat to Konoha, and sending mere genin, no matter what skill Ino and her had, seemed lacking somewhat. Sarutobi merely laughed and told them to do their best.

That being said, one thing led to another, and here they were, right on Kabuto's tail. A decision had to be made. This snake had been on the run for far too long and was getting a bit too far from Konoha for their tastes. Gritting her teeth, Sakura glanced at Ino, only to find her best friend gazing back at her with the same determination in her eyes.

"Left."

"Right."

With simultaneous nods, both took their respective positions and completely changed their 'aura'. No more spy-mode. Completely throwing away the need to mask their chakra trail, they instead chose to flare as much of it as possible, reaching the peaks of their maximum chakra output in the shortest period of time, before dashing towards their target. Time to stall and forcefully capture him, and if it came down to it, elimination.

It came as quite a shock to Kabuto when a blur of purple appeared beside him, and it was a mere moment before a whole horde of shuriken came flying at him. He had known the two young Kunoichi were following him all along, and had decided to test their skills. He didn't worry at all, seeing how he was on par with copy ninja Kakashi. Besides, it wouldn't do for the mission as well, he was supposed to lead those two to where Naruto and Jiraiya most likely were and then explain to them exactly what his job was.

Unfortunately, he really wasn't given much chance to even say anything, because he just realized how much of a mistake he had made by actually giving the two of them a chance to attack. Oh yes, he really regretted underestimating the females of Team six.

Leaning backwards, he quickly charged up his chakra scalpels, and swatted the more dangerous shuriken out of the way before evading the rest. Cursing as he was forced to slow down, he tried to rebound of a tree trunk and continue his way, wanting to avoid conflict. However, sensing a huge chakra flare right behind him, his instincts told him to duck the moment he reached a tree branch, and indeed, the blow that went searing past him blasted a huge hole out of the trunk.

Eyes widening at the sheer power behind that strike, Kabuto idly pondered just what would happen when Sakura met Tsunade. Shaking himself out of the reverie, he instantly picked up his pace again, only to be impeded by Ino's poison attack, the gas diffusing through the air, blocking his sight.

Grimacing at the trouble he got himself into, he had no choice but to face the two girls. He knew better than to take them lightly now. After all, the looks on their faces were that of trained killers, ice-cold orbs that showed no mercy. Inwardly, he gave a small cheer at the level of determination they held. Of course, he would have to show them the difference in skill and put them in their place, but their motives were good.

"Yakushi Kabuto, given your suspicious actions, I hereby arrest you in the name of Konoha," Ino spoke as she tightened her hold on her kunai, eyes not leaving the figure. Sakura emphasized the seriousness of the statement by fingering her gloves, tilting her head to the left slightly. Both their brows were furrowed, completely locking onto their target, already seeking out all the possible escape routes he might take, and instantly devising ways to prevent that.

"Heh, aren't you playing a bit out of your abilities?" Kabuto smirked as he pushed his glasses up slightly, his eyes taking on a predatory glint, "Why don't you come and get me then?"

Famous last words.

* * *

_**Back with Naruto and co……**_

It soon became apparent just why Kisame and Itachi had such confidence. A giant chakra disruption seal was drawn all through the plains they were on this very moment. It was hidden by the strongest genjutsu the Uchiha had, and unfortunately, it was left undetected by Jiraiya and Tsunade when they first reached the plains.

It really was just a lack of concentration. Tsunade was focused on the battle that was to come, her mind completely revolving around ways to prove to Jiraiya that she really was ready to go back to Konoha. She had much to repay and atone, and of course, more than a little violence for her snake-like teammate. Jiraiya, on the other hand, did do a minor inspection of the area, but wasn't really putting his heart into it, on the sole basis that he was more focused on the battle plans for the future invasion that was bound to occur. Jiraiya could just see it happening, with Orochimaru being such a slimy bastard, he could already see a tough time ahead for Konoha.

With Naruto, nothing more needed to be said, the blond didn't even know the reason they were at this place, and being sleepy, he didn't really care. Big mistake.

His chakra control became absolutely hectic. Let's not say forming a Rasengan had become a major chore, but even managing to procure something simple like a Gokakyu was more than troublesome. The only good thing was that he had quite a sizeable chakra capacity, and under those terms, control wasn't the most deciding factor in normal combat. However, seeing the enemy to be Hoshigake Kisame of all people, it meant that the chances of victory were reduced to zero. He needed ninjutsu. Taijutsu alone just didn't cut it.

Jiraiya had the same thoughts as he blocked yet another slice from Samehada, experiencing yet another annoying tug on his chakra. Though he had been able to utilize Ninpo: Hari Jizo _(Ninja Arts: Needle Hide)_ and shed off much impact from the strikes, he had been unable to gain the advantage in this combat. It was utterly frustrating, for it felt as if Tsunade had given him one of her special chakra sapping doses of medicine. In simple words, it didn't feel nice at all.

He should have known that they would resort to something like this. The moment Itachi had muttered, "Oni no Itami. _(Pain of the Demons)_", things went downhill. The skill difference instantly became apparent, and not in the normal, expected way.

For example, to Jiraiya, he was suddenly reduced from a well known S ranked Sannin, back to a high A-ranked Jonin. That wasn't good, at all. When facing a bloodthirsty, S-rank nukenin who was well-known for his prowess in slicing enemies to bits with that insanely huge sword of his, one would like to have as much ground as he could get.

Literally.

"You filthy, cheating, no-good son of a bitch!" Roared Naruto as he barely evaded the strike, leaping quite a bit backwards to get some breathing space. He had the chakra capacity of a jonin still, but the control of an actual genin.

Wonderful… as if.

"Katon: Karyu Endan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Blazing Missile)_"

The fire attack clashed right on with the water elemental dragon, nullifying it. Yet the resultant explosion was less than pleasing, and had sent Naruto twirling through the air for the… ah heck, he had been doing that all the damn fight!

"Doton: Yomi Numa! _(Earth Element: Swamp of the Underworld)_" Forming quite a sizeable swamp, Kisame's movements were successfully hindered… for about twenty seconds.

Jiraiya could only swear in irritation as Kisame simply forcefully expelled himself out of the swamp. Resisting the urge to smack his face, the white haired sennin cursed at his luck of having a guy that looked like a shark, smelled like a shark, and had actual shark abilities.

Gritting his teeth as he readied himself once again, he slanted a glance at how Tsunade was fairing. He was pleasantly surprised to see that his teammate was actually able to hold her own against Uchiha Itachi, for the time being at least. It would seem that Tsunade's chakra control had been way better than his. He was a seal master, and for one of his caliber, it required extreme control. And seeing how they were both under the same disadvantages and effects of that bloody seal, her being able to continue her string of attacks that mainly relied on control said it all.

Itachi was frowning all the while as he watched Tsunade replay her actions the previous night. It was now official. Any ninjutsu attack sent at her could be absorbed. There was no other explanation for it. How else would they all magically disappear? Uchiha Itachi had confidence in his abilities, and prided himself on not just the use of Sharingan, but also the level of mastery he had over the jutsu in his arsenal. However, seeing Tsunade take him on even after the seal kicked in seemed almost insulting.

Tsunade herself had a smirk on her face, but inwardly, she was groaning. Anyone would think that she had the upper hand, and yes, she did… for the time being. The only reason Tsunade retained her chakra control was because she had given up another aspect of her skills in order to even out the seal's effect. That would be stamina. By forcing a layer of chakra to impede the effects of the exterior curse, she had to split her chakra into two, and have one portion feeding itself to the 'shield' at all times, and the other left to fight. With her chakra control, she figured she could still last for about half an hour. This was Uchiha Itachi, no small fry.

"Stay still damnit!" Another crater developed on the ground as she once again missed her target. She had tried to lure the Uchiha in just like she did the previous nights, and yes, the Uchiha didn't take all her baits, but still rose to some of them. The only trouble was the amount of space she had. There was just too much of it. No surfaces to rebound off other the ground itself, meaning Itachi had the advantage. She specialized more in close-range combat, and hence, the reason for the easy victory back in that hotel room. But now……

Shizune could only grimace as she tried to search for an opening. Itachi had sent no less than five kage bunshin to fight her. Perhaps she should be proud that the S-ranked nin would give up so much chakra just to stop her from helping Tsunade, but really, she didn't have the time. It was insanely frustrating to know that all five of them aren't 'real' opponents, and even then, she had a hard time with them. Very insulting.

The battle continued for quite some time, with neither side breaking the deadlock. Time was running short, and sweat began to develop on both Sannin's forehead. Things were getting a bit too close for comfort. Naruto wasn't fairing any better. Kisame was simply toying with him, smashing him around before taking on Jiraiya again. The double-team had no effect, for both Konoha shinobi could not fully utilize their privileges. Naruto had speed, Jiraiya had defense. But both were rendered useless the moment chakra control went haywire. What's more, Shinku had been injured quite badly, its skills severely hindered.

Yet, it seemed that all was not lost, for all of a sudden, three new figures dashed into the plains, and before they knew it, the man with the silver hair had suffered a punch and was sent soaring through the air, crashing roughly against a particular rock assemble outside of the 'force field'.

It was almost comical to view the situation as an outsider. Where had those two girls come from? Why were they running towards the blond? And just what had they done that allowed actual s-rank nin to have multiple changes of expression in mere moments?

* * *

_**With Sakura and Ino……**_

They were engaging Kabuto in combat, utterly putting his proud skills to waste. There wasn't any chance for him to use med ninjutsu to disable them. Ino had simply caught him in a mild Shinranshin no jutsu, disrupting his movements without him realizing, screwing with the control of his muscles, then slowly forcing him to a place where they would go in for the kill.

It was Ino who discovered something peculiar. It wasn't the presence of S-rank shinobi, it wasn't the presence of the force field. It was the presence of _Naruto_. Her mind instantly picked up the growls of impatience that were extremely familiar. Having trained with Naruto for more than five years, the very presence of Naruto was registered deep in her mind, without her realizing. Just as she was about to thoroughly crack Kabuto's mind just to allow Sakura a hit, a loud snarl of annoyance confirmed her thoughts. Naruto _was_ in this place.

Sakura too heard it, and hence, without further thought, both girls came to the same conclusion. _Naruto_ was their backup.

_Flashback…_

"_Forgive my insolence, but Hokage-sama, sending just two genin on such a mission. As much as I hate to admit it, the chances of success are not that good at all…" The rosette responded nervously to the Hokage's request. _

_Chuckling, Sarutobi gave an understanding nod, "Not at all, Sakura. It is actually very pleasing to see you caring for not just the safety of your teammate, but also the good of the village." _

_Sakura blushed in embarrassment at the praise and glanced at Ino, only to find the blonde giggling at her expression, "Mo, Ino!" _

"_Hai, hai. Well, there you have it, Hokage-sama." Grinning, Ino shrugged, "We just aren't good enough." _

_Taking the pipe out of his mouth, Sarutobi raised an eyebrow, "Am I hearing right? Mitarashi Anko's prodigies claiming that their skills aren't enough?" _

_That struck a chord, and their reactions were obvious. However, their attempts at not rising to the bait were quite impressive. They were still children in his eyes, and granted, sending genin as young as them out on such dangerous missions was quite immoral, it couldn't be helped. That was the cruel reality. _

_Not that anyone really cared. _

_Reluctantly, Sakura mumbled, "It's not Anko-sensei's fault…" _

_Ino too, pouted, "Yeah!" _

_All the adults present in the room had a good laugh, remembering what it was like to be young again…_

_Back on topic, Sarutobi coughed, "Erhem. As I was saying, do not worry too much about the success rate of this mission. Before you interrupted me," he smiled as he noted the deadpan expressions on the girls' faces, "I was going to tell you that you'll have reinforcements at a certain point of this mission. Where and when, I cannot say." _

"_Eh? Reinforcements?"_

_Flashback end…_

And hence, it wasn't too surprising for the girls to have a huge boost of confidence, and launch some of their more strenuous attacks. Just as they were about to reach a wide open plains, Sakura had launched an extremely condensed chakra punch, breaking right past Kabuto's defense, launching him right across the field, onto a rocky object.

Imagine their surprise when they came upon a sight where Naruto, that white-haired pervert and a young woman wearing a blue gi, standing beside a panting blonde female. Given that her back was to them, they weren't able to see much of her facial features, but judging from the huge kanji 'gamble' on her back, this must be the Legendary Sucker, aka Tsunade-sama.

But that wasn't the most shocking. First the rocky object collapsed, then something around the field faded, and all of a sudden, the exhaustion that was previously seen on the Konoha shinobi's faces disappeared. With it came a renewed vigour, and an extreme sense of fury…

"Eat this you shark freak!" Slamming a well-controlled third level Rasengan into Kisame's face, Naruto growled as he summoned two more wind elemental orbs.

"Naruto!"

"Naru-kun!"

Both females were quite unsure as to what exactly was going on, and were about to ask Naruto when they realized how three of the four, i.e. minus that raven-haired woman, had faces with a supreme smugness as they took steps towards the two… holy! Isn't that…?!

Tsunade was smirking, cracking her knuckles, "Why don't we have a _real_ fight now, Itachi-kun…?"

Jiraiya too, was showing extreme irritation, "I think I agree with Naruto. Sashimi does taste nice for lunch…"

The two S-rank missing nin frowned in annoyance. The plan had been going well, but unfortunately it would seem that it would end in failure after all. Taking on two Sannin was really quite a chore.

Itachi merely shrugged lightly, "Unfortunately, Jiraiya-san, we have to leave. Play time is over after all." His face was schooled into one of indifference, cool and calm at the same time, completely ignoring the angry woman in front of him.

"Oh?! Why, then let me give you a hand!" Yelling, Tsunade slammed her fist into the ground, sending a trail of rubble blasting towards Itachi.

"Ah, great idea! Want a present?!" Jiraiya summoned up a ball from the swamp and launched it towards them. The ball grew larger as it travelled further, expanding ever so quickly, almost on the verge of explosion…

Kisame grumbled, "And just when things were getting fun… ah well, there's always next time…"

Itachi frowned slightly, before closing his eyes, readying his chakra supply, before muttering quietly, "Amaterasu!"

Black flames engulfed all that stood in its way, easily reducing the attacks from both Sannin to nothing. Before Tsunade and Jiraiya could start their next round of attacks, both S-rank nukenin were gone from the spot.

Nobody said anything for awhile, all too caught up in the rage and urging need to release some stress. The thought of being treated like a monkey and actually losing to cheap bastards like them…

"Ne, ero-sennin…" Naruto mumbled as he finally calmed himself down, "What the hell was that all about?"

Jiraiya grumbled, before responding, "You heard them… that was their idea of 'fun'."

Tsunade clenched her fists, before ramming them a few more times on the ground, "ARGGGGH! This pisses me off! Who the hell does he think he is?! Just a bloody brat!"

The white haired sennin shook his head, "They've gone a bit too far now. Next time… they're _dead_." His eyes were narrowed to quite an intense degree, the grinding of teeth actually audible.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Er, that's not what I meant. I was wondering – "

"Naruto!"

"Naru-kun!"

Two pairs of arms laced themselves around his torso as they pulled him into an embrace.

"Huh? What? What?" Spinning his head around, he temporarily forgot about the anger within him and instead focused on the other two teammates of his.

"Mo! Naruto! Is that how you're going to react to us from now on?"

"Hmph! You cold-hearted beast!"

Mock sniffling could be heard.

Completely unable to grasp this procedure of events, Naruto felt on the verge of fainting, "Just what the heck is going on?!"

And to add to the chaos, Jiraiya suddenly spoke up, "Eh? Kabuto? What are you doing here?"

A raspy croak came from the rocky object, "Ah-ah… J-jiraiya-s-sama… I've come t-to report…" A shaky hand rose from the ground, "B-but as you can see… I've run int-to s-some trouble…"

"You _know_ this guy?!" Both girls stared wide-eyed at the perverted sennin, huge question marks on their heads.

Tsunade continued to swear as Shizune tried to calm her down. Normally a very entertaining sight, but to Naruto, it seriously confused him even more. The problem was, the fight just now didn't even seem like a true one! More like a spar! What the hell?!

Feeling his eyes roll to the back of his head, Naruto sighed, "Ah whatever, I don't give a damn anymore…"

* * *

_**Elsewhere……**_

"Zetsu, you can stop spying on us now."

"_Ah, sorry to interrupt. _**But then again, that was quite a good fight. Looks like the Sannin**_ aren't very strong after all._"

"Tch, true that. Let's just get back to the headquarters, Pein would wanna know the results." Kisame gave a loud yawn as he finished the sentence.

Zetsu merely gave a nod, before shrinking back in the ground, supposedly off to inform Pein of their mission status.

Little did the ex-grass nin know, Kisame and Itachi were having quite an interesting conversation within their minds.

_You do know that we'll be dead next time… right?_

_Indeed. However, we won't be seeing them for awhile._

_Yes, but that's Jiraiya… and Tsunade… the rate of success is close to zero…_

_True… we have used up our trust…_

_I knew it was a bad idea to trick them…_

_I thought Ryusei had already told them of this act._

_That punk loves pranks, remember?! _

… _We'll survive, somehow. _

_Itachi, if worse comes to worse, I don't care if you go blind because of the use of Amaterasu, but you WILL get us out in one piece._

_Kisame, are you perhaps afraid?_

_Damn right I'm afraid! _

_I see…_

* * *

_**Urgh… I don't even know what to say… That was a really weird chapter… I'll say for you guys even. Half the time, I didn't know what I was doing. But yeah, I kinda made sure which guys are on the good side etc. **_

_**If you didn't understand… well, tough. =.= **_

_**As lame as this chapter was, you guys should begin to catch on to how several characters play different roles to canon Naruto etc. So please, OOC comments can wait. I'm telling you right now, they ARE OOC… or I think they are. Hm…**_

_**Bah, anyway, review. That's all I ask of you… heh…**_


	33. Alarming News

_**A/N: Hm, sorry for not updating… no wait, why am I apologizing, I already told you guys I had exams… hm.. **_

_**AH well, anyway, here's the next chap. Most of you figured out what's going on, if you haven't, shame. Back to Konoha we go… I actually had to go back and check who's fighting who in the exams… Such an act of fail lol…**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 33: Alarming News

Things had been very interesting this past couple of hours. 'Surprising' didn't even begin to cover it.

"So… you're telling me… that Kabuto's a spy of yours, undercover over at Orochimaru's, where he'll be playing as a spy of _his_, whose job will be to spy on _you_, and then he'll be sent by _him_ to give _you_ fake information, while you send Kabuto back to _him_ with fake information as well… What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Naruto asked incredulously, unable to process what he had just heard.

Jiraiya sighed once again, and nodded, "Yeah, I wonder that sometimes as well. Alas, it can't be helped. Be happy that I ain't that Legendary Sucker over there or your wallet will get emptied faster than the speed of light."

Both males ignored the indignant "HEY!" from the blonde that was currently healing Kabuto's injuries. Sakura was by her side, focusing intently on the way she utilized med-ninjutsu. It seemed almost unreal that she would be using such a small input to achieve a much more efficient output. Though Sakura had expected a high level of skill from the Slug Sannin, she was still amazed. Compared to her, Sakura's healing jutsu had a long way to go.

Ino chose to drape herself over Naruto's shoulder lazily, comfortable in being close to him again. Snuggling with the blond always led to fun events. This time was no different.

"Speaking of which gaki, shouldn't you be introducing me to your girlfriends by now?" Jiraiya asked with a smirk.

Deadpanning, Naruto replied, "You've really gone senile, haven't you?"

Huffing, the white-haired sennin grumbled, "What?"

"They were with me when we caught you peeking at the hot springs…"

"Ah… let's not go there shall we?"

"Well you started it."

Tsunade growled as her eyes narrowed at her perverted teammate, "Jiraiya…"

"Hime, hush. Your gambling, my research, it's the same difference."

"No it's NOT!"

"Oh, look, Kabuto's dying!"

"Uh huh…"

One punch later.

"OUCH!"

"See, he _is_ dying!"

"JIRAIYA!"

And there they went again. Yelling and screaming back and forth. One would think that they were five year olds. Naruto for one would have agreed. Instead, he chose to pull Ino closer to himself as he kissed her forehead, "And how have you been Ino?"

Smiling slightly, the blonde nuzzled his cheek, "Alright I guess. We trained like crazy you know. I might even be able to beat you one-on-one now." The teasing glint in her eyes said it all.

"Really… woah!" Naruto gasped as Sakura too latched herself onto Naruto, grinning as she ruffled his hair, "So, did you miss me?"

Sticking out his tongue, Naruto shrugged in mock nonchalance, "Oh, I don't know. Why would I miss such a beautiful, delicate rose?" His wide grin was plastered onto his face as Sakura wacked him over his head for that cheesy comment.

The trio then began exchanging information about each other whilst the others watched on in silence. Shizune was quite surprised to see two girls so intimate with Naruto, but then again, given his charisma, it was obvious. Chuckling slightly as she saw the two girls 'manhandling' the blond, she couldn't help but feel happy for the boy. After knowing him, and understanding a bit about his past, she was afraid that no one had cared for him. But now, seeing those girls genuinely pay attention to the blond, she felt relieved in a way.

Tsunade merely glanced at Jiraiya before shrugging, "Man, if only the mentor would be more like his disciple…"

The white haired sennin frowned, "What are you talking about? I'm ten times the man he is!"

"Oh really…? Why don't I see twenty women draping themselves over you?"

"…"

"Cat got your tongue?"

"Actually, I think I'm going to prove you wrong."

"Oh?" Tsunade's eyes glinted, "And how, may I ask, will you do that?"

Smirking, Jiraiya shrugged, "Oh, you'll see later. But for now, Kabuto, report."

"Hai, Jiraiya-sama." The grey-haired man adjusted his glasses, swerving a glance at the genin's direction, before breathing a sigh of relief and continuing, "As expected, Orochimaru is planning to focus the main firepower on Gaara whilst he takes out Sandaime-sama himself. There are five main warriors of Otogakure known as the Sound Five, however, Kimimaro, the strongest of the five, has a sickness that has yet to be cured, and hence he will not be participating in this invasion."

Jiraiya gave a grave nod, before asking, "How sure are you on that info?"

"Very sure. I'm his doctor after all." His smile turned to a smirk, "He hasn't got long left to live."

Tsunade frowned at his expression, "You seem awful cheerful."

Kabuto shrugged, "He's the enemy. I feel no pity."

"Go on."

"Hai. Also, Orochimaru has recently devised a fuinjutsu known as Shishi Enjin, supported by the other four members of the Sound Five. The barrier will be purple and is made up of poisonous flames, ones that could not be put up by water. After much research, my best guess would be either lightning or fire attacks strong enough to forcefully pierce one single point of the barrier in order to have any chance of breaking into it."

"Hm, I see. So he thinks he's going to have a showdown with old man huh…" Narrowing his eyes, Jiraiya snorted, "He's got another thing coming for him. Change of plans." Turning to his teammate, he spoke up, "Tsunade, you'll hide your presence under henge of another person until after the Chuunin exams. I think Orochimaru would like a surprise."

Tsunade caught his look and gave a devious sneer as well, "Of course, of course… good old times. But Jiraiya," Her expression grew serious, "This isn't a prank like before. Can you do it?"

Silence ensued for a short while before Jiraiya gave a nod, "I should be able to. Even if he's a sick bastard who knows tons of disgusting jutsu that I don't even wanna know about, I figured I should be at least able to drag him down to Hell with me."

Tsunade's eyes widened, "Jirai – "

Raising a hand to stop her, he continued, "It's alright. I know my limits. Besides, it's not going to be a one-on-one for sure." Tapping his finger on Tsunade's diamond tattoo on her forehead, he grinned, "It's three on one."

The blonde female could only sigh at his childish antics. He really didn't change much… or did he…

"Go on, Kabuto."

"Hai. Up next is the main battle plan. Orochimaru is disguised as the Yondaime Kazekage."

"WHAT?!" Tsunade exclaimed at that, "But… that would mean he's already disposed of the Kage…"

Kabuto nodded gravely, "Yes, he has. With the help of Kimimaro, the leader of the Sound Five. It is because of that battle that he is now weak. So, the Kazekage's death was not without benefit."

"Hmph, easy for you to say." Tsunade grumbled menacingly.

Holding up hands to pacify the blonde Sannin, Kabuto grinned, "I apologize Tsunade-sama."

"Anything else Kabuto?" Jiraiya asked, his mind in deep thought.

Kabuto hesitated for a moment, before nodding, "Yes, one last thing. Orochimaru may have gotten his hands on a very dangerous kinjutsu. One that allows him to summon the dead and control them."

Jiraiya grew deathly quiet at that, before gritting his teeth, "You don't mean Edo Tensei?!"

"Precisely that."

"Damn it. That just complicates everything." Clenching his fists, he almost growled, "Come on Kabuto, give me all the bad news in one go."

The grey-haired man laughed nervously, "That's all. I'm not hiding anything."

Contemplating the situation, Jiraiya's mind worked furiously over the latest facts, before he calmed himself down and nodded.

"Alright, Kabuto, you may go now."

The silver-haired man gave a curt nod, but disappearing in a shunshin. A veil of silence descended on the couple as Tsunade looked at Jiraiya closely, before whispering, "You know, I never know how you control these 'spies' of yours. Especially the one that just left."

Chuckling bitterly, Jiraiya shrugged, "Comes with experience and age I suppose. Got betrayed quite a lot, so I make sure those who work under me know their place. Kabuto is special. I wouldn't blame him even if he betrays me. I made it clear the moment I enlisted his help."

Eyes widening, Tsunade started, before asking, "What?!"

"He's had a tough life. Not as bad as Naruto, but not too far off. He has ambition, he has cravings for power, and he has the mind to back it up. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise for him to betray me some time. But not now. Definitely not now. Heh."

His eyes held a glint as he looked out the window, "The fun's just starting, he won't abandon it half way." Shaking his head, he muttered, "Brats."

Tsunade bowed her head slightly, "Jiraiya…"

"No, don't want to hear it. It's in the past, it's over. You said you were gonna turn over a new leaf and show me what a good Godaime you can be. So do it. Before that, I don't want to hear anything about that kinda stuff." He jokingly replied.

The blonde however knew that he was actually still very hurt on the inside. She did betray him, on quite a number of occasions, but back then, she had no idea. She had always treated Jiraiya like a baka teammate who's trying to show off. Rarely did she ever see him as support. When Nawaki was dead, Jiraiya had offered to be there for her at all times, yet she hooked up with Dan. It was on the day of their first date too. Dan had asked a favour of her, to sort out some medical records, and being the teenager that she was, she obviously decided that Jiraiya could wait.

She had found out five days later that Jiraiya had actually waited for her all the way until midnight, before he finally left. Worse, the white-haired man didn't even mention about it and congratulated her when she announced that Dan was her boyfriend. She didn't give it much thought, constantly repeating to herself that there was no way she could hook up with a pervert like Jiraiya.

Then Dan died, and once again, Jiraiya was there for her, but he didn't make any requests about relationships. He simply stayed by her side, helping her through her troubles. And once again, she had thrown his care in his face, constantly getting herself drunk, only to end up releasing all her stress on the only person she could turn to. Yet he had never once left her, simply standing there, allowing her to let it all out. No matter what insults she threw at him, he didn't move.

After she calmed down over the incident, her fear of blood resurfaced and she couldn't get into her medic-nin duties. Jiraiya was the one who looked all over the place for a remedy, and when he finally found something that might help, he returned to the village, only to find Tsunade gone. Apparently, she had decided to run away from the past and took Shizune with her.

So overall, it was quite a surprise to her over the years when Jiraiya occasionally came to visit her and bring her up to date with events. She simply thought of him as a nuisance, and constantly dismissed him as a pervert who wanted to check out her figure. Jiraiya would always leave, smiling like the idiot he was.

She didn't really think much about his job as the toad sannin, thinking he was like her, simply travelling all over the place, touring and enjoying himself. Then a few years later, she received information from one of his 'spies' that a few nukenin was looking for her bounty. Prepared, she easily took care of them. It was then that she began to realize how big a role Jiraiya's spy network had in helping the village.

Ryusei and at random intervals, Minagi too had come visit her, and every time she questioned how they knew of her whereabouts, it was always Jiraiya. Thinking back, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly at her cowardice. But then again, she supposed the annoying acts of Jiraiya when he was young had seeped deep into her mind.

"I'm sorry."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, only to find Tsunade's amber orbs staring right at him. She seemed quite emotional, and definitely was not referring to what happened yesterday anymore. "For what?"

Tsunade grimaced, "Well, you know, all these years…"

"Haha, don't worry about it."

"But I do worry. Orochimaru's invasion won't be anything on the small scale. Especially with your hard-head personality, you would want to take him on for sensei. I – "

Jiraiya sighed, "Why must you always make me seem like an idiot?"

"Because you are one." Her smile was small, "A good man, but an idiot nonetheless."

True, Jiraiya had a share of betrayals that was because of her, but she knew that the main one was Orochimaru. And that was why, she was determined to see this crisis through.

"One more thing," Tsunade muttered as Jiraiya rolled his eyes, turning back to her once more, clearly wanting to know what else she wanted to say.

"Don't you dare die on me. Ever. Are we clear?" Her expression was extremely serious, her lips tight and her eyebrows furrowed together.

Jiraiya stared at her for a few moments, before nodding, "Crystal."

Letting her face relax, she smiled, "Good."

"As much as I like to see you two all nice and caring for each other, I have to break this up and ask one very important question…" Naruto muttered as he appeared in the middle of the two Sannin all of a sudden.

An aura of death appeared around Jiraiya, as he glared at his 'disciple', "You just completely ruined the atmosphere, you know that?"

"Precisely why I said 'sorry' for. Geez, you're going deaf old man."

"Hmph, I'll show you old man." Bashing Naruto on the back of his head, he looked at Sakura and Ino, "I'm assuming the two of you want to know about Kabuto as well huh?"

Simultaneous nods were his answer.

"Alright gaki. I know what you're on about. However, now's not the time to reveal that to you. It's not classified as an S-rank secret for nothing." Rubbing the back of his head, Jiraiya continued, ignoring the annoyed look on Naruto's face, "Don't give me that expression. What we have on our hands at the moment is a very serious problem. Invasion of Konoha during the Chuunin exams is something that we could do without. However, seeing how it's Orochimaru, the only chances of getting him to stop the plan would be to assassinate him."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Then do it!"

Jiraiya glared at him, "I would if I could catch his whereabouts. It seems like that guy really doesn't change. Kabuto has the information as to how he will strike. Being the snake that he is, he'll dress up as the Yondaime Kazekage, wait until one of the fights, and then launch a full-scale attack. Yes, the Kazekage was killed."

"But that's just… argh!" Naruto cursed as he rammed his fist into the wall, "That fucking snake!" His eyes narrowed as he remembered just how close Anko had come to death had he not been there in time, and how close he was in hurting Sakura and Ino when he went all Kyuubi. That was something that he did not need to be reminded of.

Sakura and Ino too had looks fury on their faces, having quite the horror experience of facing a berserk Naruto and a completely helpless Anko. Not a pleasant memory. Hence, it was with unison that all three asked, "We'll do it."

Jiraiya looked at them, surprised, "Like I said, we do not have tabs on his whereabouts at this moment – "

"It doesn't matter. The moment you find that piece of shit, please do notify us. We're gonna make him regret ever disturbing our peace." Team six's aura instantly changed to that of what was deemed 'killer mode'.

Tsunade gave a satisfied nod, "Not too shabby. But unfortunately, that request will have to be denied for now."

"What?! Why?!"

"Simply put, you guys are too weak. Waaay too weak. Gaki, you should know best, I'm a Sannin. Orochimaru is a Sannin. Heck, he may be weaker than me in terms of physical strength and chakra control, but he will definitely be the tougher one to defeat, with all his disgusting kinjutsu crap. You fought me, you should know the skill difference."

Both girls stared at Naruto, eyes widened after hearing this. "Naruto?"

The blond frowned for a moment, closed his eyes as he took a few deep breaths, and sighed, "She's right. I lost to her in a minute. We can't take down Orochimaru like this."

"One minute?! What?! Even Jiraiya lasted longer!"

"I misjudged my foe. She was rather drunk at that time." Naruto shrugged, "Besides, Jiraiya was peeping, he couldn't be bothered to fight me anyway."

Taken aback by this new knowledge, Sakura thought for a moment, "Was it that chakra pulse super strength thing?"

Naruto nodded, "Yes, it would seem that her strength is maximized to one particular point before she blasts away. I felt it first hand, very effective."

Sakura nodded, turned around for a while, before lashing out all of a sudden. Her lithe leg rose to Tsunade's face, chakra shimmering around her limb. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at this and reached out to catch said limb. It came as a real surprise when her hand was actually kicked away, and she had to take a step backwards, but Sakura herself was flung towards the wall.

"Sakura!" In a flash, Naruto caught her, and along with Ino, slowed down her crash.

Tsunade gave a small whistle, "Not too bad. Your level of chakra control is quite impressive. What's your future goal girl?"

Sakura smiled, "Didn't think too much of it yet, but Anko-sensei did say I had the makings of a combat med-nin."

"She'll be right too. What say you become my apprentice?" Tsunade's eyes held a glint as she secretly held her glee in. It wouldn't do for her to show just how much she wanted to teach this young lady.

Normal people would never understand the importance of talent. All they ever care about would be the results that these 'geniuses' reap in. To her, execution was the main thing. Sure, you can train as hard as you want to overcome a genius, but there would always be things that he can do, which you can't. Everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses, and there's bound to be some better than others. This fact is undeniable. And for Tsunade to meet someone who managed _this_ level of chakra control already at such a young age, it reminded her quite a lot of herself.

Jiraiya chuckled, "My, my, don't you work fast? Shizune might get jealous you know."

"Jiraiya-sama!" The raven-haired woman smiled nervously, "Tsunade-sama will do what she thinks best."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, "Baka! It's not like I'm going to throw you out or anything. Shizune, this kid was able to utilize chakra adhesion to the extent where repulsive forces could be generated. That is something even you find difficult achieving right now."

"No way!" Shizune's eyes widened, "Her chakra control must be… woah!"

Nodding in satisfaction, Tsunade turned back to the three teenagers, who were currently quite bewildered by the situation, except Sakura of course. The rosette was currently staring at the blonde with determination in her eyes.

"So, what do you say?"

Sakura nodded, "I'm honored."

"Great! This calls for celebration!" Tsunade slapped her hands down on Sakura's shoulders, a wide grin on her face, "Bring on the Sake!"

Jiraiya slapped a hand to his face, "If we had any, I'm not giving it to you. You'll just clear out the entire stock."

Naruto simply shook his head, "Ino, did you get any of that?"

"I don't think so… It would seem that Sakura had something up her sleeves that we had no idea of." Ino raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "Do explain."

The pink-haired genin smiled, "Well, she was able to beat Naruto in one minute using her skills. Being under her tutorage definitely has its benefits."

With a slight sweatdrop on his head, Naruto sighed, "Please, tell me that was not the reason you agreed."

Sakura giggled, "Nah. It's just, I really want to be of more use to our team. You're the berserker basically, and Ino's the one who tracks, hunts down and traps the enemy. I, on the other hand, other than the feeble medic jutsu I know of, have nothing much to add other than destruction, which you, Naruto, can already achieve. I've been thinking for quite a while already, and have decided that perhaps me being a combat medic nin would be the best choice."

Not knowing what to say, Naruto could only stare at her, before he pulled her into his arms, "I love you."

Blushing, Sakura rested her head against his chest, before mumbling back, "I know…"

Ino merely deadpanned, "Yes, please ignore me. I'm chopped liver, don't mind me."

Chuckling, Naruto held out his right arm, "Hime, no need to be jealous." Forming a mischievous grin, he kissed her on the forehead, "It's all good."

Watching from the sides, Jiraiya couldn't help but admire the boy. The kid got class.

But as always, good things… or just things… must come to an end.

"Alright, we have to get a move on. Lots to prepare, and lots to plan. Come on, snuggle later."

"Party-pooper." Ino pouted as she stuck her tongue out at the Toad sannin.

Sakura hugged him once more, before going over to show her respect to Shizune, "Senpai!"

"Oh! No, no, no. No need for that! Haha, it's good to know that someone with your control would choose medic-nin as a job. Nowadays, medic nins aren't really that looked up to. Most would choose genjutsu…"

Shaking her head, Sakura replied amiably, "I don't mind. I'm doing this for myself, not for others to say anything."

"And that's all you need." Tsunade ruffled her hair gently, before turning serious again, "Alright. Be on alert, there may be more enemies that would want to intercept us. Let's move out. Top speed!"

Just as she was about to move, she heard Naruto asking, "Why is she all pumped up?"

"Not really. She just wants to escape her debt collectors. Is all."

Gritting her teeth, she clenched her fist and rammed it on the sennin's head, "Jiraiya!"

"It's the TRUTH! Why do I get bashed when I say the truth?!"

* * *

_**At Akatsuki headquarters……**_

"I see that you have returned empty-handed. Care to explain?" The figure asked silently from the shadows, orbs with multiple rings shining in the darkness.

Itachi bowed his head, "My deepest apologies, it would seem that we have indeed underestimated the slug sannin's powers. Also, it would seem that the toad sannin was at the same place as well, and it became quite the trouble dealing with the both of them. I rather like my body in one piece." His voice was monotonous all along, devoid of any emotion. Only Kisame had some kind of idea the sarcasm Itachi must have been lacing in his words.

"I see." The mysterious figure took no notice of Itachi's failure, and instead focused on other information. "Jiraiya was there you say. His abilities…"

"They were definitely worth his fame." Kisame spoke up this time, "I have to say that his chakra capacity may even be above mine."

The figure nodded, before saying, "Well then, I trust you will do better on your next mission. Dismissed."

"Hai."

The S-rank missing nin duo disappeared in a blur. The remaining figure stared into nothingness for awhile, before turning to the side, "Konan, what will you do if Jiraiya were to impede with our plans?"

A blue-haired female appeared beside him, her expression cold as ice, "I'll always be by your side, Pein. You know that."

"I do." He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, beginning to start another series of planning to sort out any obstacles in their master plan, "But I do need to be reminded of it more than once."

* * *

_**In Konoha……**_

Ryusei stared up into the sky as a raven came flying through the air, swirling around him. Smirking, he glanced at the two females near him, who were having an intense spar at the moment.

"Ladies, be back in a second." Waving his hand, he called the raven over to him as he sat down in the shade of a palm tree.

Opening its beak, a sliver of chakra ran up its throat before out came a message coded in true Konoha ANBU style.

_Dear Ryusei, _

_Fuck you. _

_Thank you for the prank._

_It was nice having the spar with two Sannin whom you said would be prepared by your little scheme. You're a bastard by the way._

_Also, thought you should know. Kazekage is a fake. You should know what that means. The snake has left the organization for awhile, and seeing him act up like this once again shows that he has an ace up his sleeve. Do not let your guard down. _

_We await your next move._

_By the way, I do believe I need to send home the message._

_Fuck you._

_Regards, Weasel and Shark._

It started off as a snort, then a chuckle, and finally full-blown laughter. He could simply imagine the look on Itachi's face. He had said numerous times, whenever Itachi got angry, his face developed a constipated look due to his severe restrain of his facial muscles to show any sign of fury. It was highly entertaining, and Kisame agreed. Of course, they never told him face to face. That would mean instant Tsukuyomi.

Finally ceasing his laughter, lest it drew the attention of those two women, he patted the raven on the head, before muttering, "Say thank you for me. I appreciate the message. And for now, tell them to drag out information gathering for as long as they could. We need time to prepare."

Giving a short nod, the raven blinked once, before rising back into the sky. Eyeing the piece of paper in his hand, he grinned, before summoning up his flame and burning it to crisp.

"What was that Ryusei?"

Raising both eyebrows, he looked up to find a slightly panting Minagi eyeing his hand with great interest, "Do tell me what that raven had to say?" Her onyx eyes focused on her fiancé, daring him to lie to her.

Kireki followed right behind, wiping her sweat off using a fresh towel, "You know it's pointless to hide from us, Ryu-chan."

Rolling his eyes, he responded, "Just because a random bird flies down to my hand does not mean that it has any ulterior motives!"

"Oh really… you happen to forget that I hold the raven contract… and that one definitely was a summon."

Deadpanning, Ryusei asked, "Weren't you sparring?"

"I do keep a third eye on my surroundings."

"Ladies, please, I'm innocent!"

Kireki chuckled, "No one said you were guilty Ryu-chan." Activating her Byakugan, her smile grew wider, "But I can tell when you are lying."

Sighing, Ryusei shrugged, "Well, it won't hurt I suppose. One of our spies sent us a message. Orochimaru's on the move. We gotta start preparing."

Raising an eyebrow, "And you didn't inform us because…?"

Standing up, he stared off into the distance, before turning around and facing his two beloved, "It would seem that Yondaime Kazekage was killed."

The shock shown by both ladies was expected, and Kireki deactivated her bloodline, before taking a step forward, "This is bad news."

Nodding, he replied, "Indeed. The Shi Fukei will have to go all out once again. This is one war we _cannot _afford to lose."

Minagi eyed Ryusei even more closely, "It doesn't explain why you didn't tell us." Placing her hands on his cheeks, she forced him to look her right in the eye, "There's something that you're not telling me. I know it."

Kireki grimaced inwardly. She had tried to lower Minagi's suspicion by deactivating her bloodline, but it seemed to have failed. Nevertheless, it was Ryusei's fault to begin with. She too, wanted to know what he was being so secretive about, however, if he didn't want to say it, she wouldn't push him too much, because knowing him, he would tell you when the time's right.

Ryusei schooled his face into one of indifference, before shaking his head, "There is nothing that I'm not telling you. I swear on the pride of my clan."

This continued on for several minutes, before Minagi finally gave in, "Oh alright. I'll let it pass just this once. But if I ever find out…"

"Yes, yes, you can kill, torture or rape me. Whatever. Now, let's all get going. I believe Hokage-sama wanted to have a meeting with us."

Blushing a deep red at Ryusei's nonchalant comment, Minagi yelled, "Ryusei!"

Laughter soon followed as the trio made their way to the Hokage Tower.

_Gomen Minagi. I'm afraid you forgot that I have no pride of the Kamio. _

* * *

_**Alright, got this chap up. Bridge chapter if you will. It was the best I could manage during the exams.**_

_**Also, I'm afraid to say that shit has officially hit the fan with my life. Won't say what it is, but it has to do with a fight. Quite a big one. With my dad. **_

_**So again, I apologize for the late update and perhaps, lack of creativity, but well, after the exams, I have all the time in the world. For those of you who enjoyed this story, I thank you. **_

_**Review and tell me how it felt. And please, do review. Lol. **_


	34. Reminders

_**A/N: Began this chapter after flying an eleven hour flight, so currently, brain kinda muddled. Anyways, let's just begin this, I haven't got much to say, other than thanking all those that have reviewed. **_

_**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Naruto.**_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 34: Reminders

After another three days of none stop travelling, the group finally arrived back at the gates of Konoha without too much trouble. Particular emphasis on the word 'too' seeing how there were occasional events where Jiraiya's peeping and Tsunade's gambling had got them into more than just a bit of trouble, however, they've all managed to survive. Sakura had begun learning stuff already from Tsunade, namely theories on medical jutsu.

There was one thing that Tsunade had first told Sakura, and that was "theory and practical are two different things, _never_ mix the two under any condition when it comes to surgery." The reason why Sakura had learned the theory was because Tsunade wanted her to find out the possible places in which knowledge proves useless. Ino, on the other hand, was more interested in chakra control and hence chatted with Shizune on applications of Ninpo doku giri (poisonous gas), and after discussing, both kunoichi gained some insight as to the variations of that particular technique.

Naruto, therefore, was left with Jiraiya, who was like his usual self, meaning that it was quite a boring return trip. Constantly on alert so as to keep the sennin out of trouble was tiring, and to continuously protect his 'gama-chan' from being stolen was getting old. But then again, it wasn't completely without rewards. He did manage to get a few more pointers from Jiraiya regarding the production of a variation of the Rasengan. In fact, he had discussed his plans of implementing his Kaen Rin and Furea into Rasengan, or even adding elemental chakra to it to make it even more powerful. Just thinking of the amount of destruction that jutsu could cause made him filled with glee…

Yes, he spent too much time with Anko, but that's beside the point…

Back on track, he had mainly asked Jiraiya about the idea of compression. Grinding and all was brilliant, however, it was common knowledge that when energy was under pressure, the output of the blast would be amplified. Hence, he thought of somehow improving the third stage of Rasengan, until the point where he could create one on his finger. Needless to say, that was harder than one would expect, and therefore, he was kept busy doing that as well.

The other fun thing to mention was that at night, the room management was supposed to be Sakura and Ino in one room, then Tsunade and Shizune plus Tonton in the second room, and Jiraiya and Naruto in the third room. Naturally, it was very sensible, however, there was one problem, Sakura and Ino insisted that Naruto stay with them. Now, Tsunade was quite surprised by their forwardness, and was about to say no right out when Naruto had simply shrugged, "Sure, you girls share a bed, I'll take the other."

Ino had cheered and latched herself onto Naruto's back, "Just like old times?"

"Yep."

"Awesome!" Ino grinned as she looked at Sakura, "Come on Sakura, what should we do tonight?"

Sakura gave an amused smile, "Strip poker?"

"How did you know I was thinking of that?"

Sighing, Naruto had whacked Jiraiya on the head after noting the slight nosebleed the pervert was now sporting, "They're just teasing. You would be pedo if you even think of laying a hand on my girls."

Tsunade was torn between laughing and reprimanding the three teens for their behaviour whereas Shizune was blushing like a tomato.

"Wait a second, did you just say 'my girls'?" Ino asked, a sly tone in her voice, "Naruto…"

Sakura cooed, "I do like a man who's possessive of what's his…" Her left hand caressed his right cheek while Ino kissed his left one, before draping themselves over him, with Ino even giving off a few suggestive noises as she gazed into Naruto's eyes.

"As much as I enjoy the attention, I would seriously advise you girls to stop this. Ero-sennin's about to go into coma, while that grandma is looking at me like I'm an evil man or something. And… yes, if you two continue to tease me, I _will_ do… some things… that I really should be doing only when I'm older…" Closing his eyes, he grinned as he let his hands trail down their backs, feeling the wondrous curves of their bodies, silently chuckling as they both gave short gasps of surprised pleasure. Needless to say, all three of them experienced an increase in body temperature and decided that yes, it was time to stop.

Reluctantly, they let each other go, before Naruto kissed both of them on the cheeks, "Eventually…"

"Yeah…"

"I'll be waiting…"

Nobody said anything else as the three went to check in to their room. Jiraiya was currently working his brain hard as he tried to figure out multiple situations in which the threesome could be carried out… before Tsunade rammed her fist into his head, sending him into the blissful dreams he was visioning. Shizune on the other hand asked, "Do you think…"

"From the looks of it, no."

"I see…"

"You were hoping they would weren't you?"

"W-what?! N-no! Of course not!"

"Heh heh. Whatever you say, Shizune."

"T-tsunade-sama!"

And with that, an eventful evening went by. So here they were now, back at Konoha, eager to get back. Naruto had stopped as they reached the gates, turning to Tsunade, "As you may know, I have someone I hope you can diagnose straight away."

The blonde snorted, before shaking her head, "Yes, yes, Anko was it? I'll go right after I see Sarutobi."

To her surprise, Naruto gave her a deep bow, "Arigato." Sakura and Ino too followed his action. To think that the girl that used to be looked down on because of her link to Orochimaru now had such good kids under her wing. Perhaps good things do come around eventually.

"Oh, shishou, there's this other girl I know that might need your help. She was injured quite badly by Juuken after all." Sakura asked, suddenly remembering the fights at the Chunnin preliminaries.

Having a darkened expression, Naruto growled, "She better be well by now. If not, that bastard is going to be in a world of pain…"

Ino shrugged, "Naruto, Neji seemed to have come to terms with himself about Hinata. Didn't you see the peaceful look on Hinata's face when he hugged her at the end?"

"I did see it, which makes it all the more disturbing. I refuse to let my sister be contaminated by that guy's holier-than-thou attitude."

"You're just overprotective."

"Hey! I resent that!"

And with that, the group took their first step into the village. To Tsunade, it had really been a long time since she had been here. For some reason, seeing this village prosper under Sarutobi's rule really brought a smile to her face. It had a soothing tranquility, something she had never expected she would feel for this village ever again. Beside her, she heard Shizune give an appreciative sigh, as though looking forward to spending the next few years in such a peaceful environment. Tonton was squealing happily in her arms, feeling the same way as its owners.

Jiraiya stood beside Tsunade as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "So, how does it feel to be back?"

She remained silent for awhile, before giving a true smile, "Brilliant."

"Heh, you do realize that being Godaime isn't really a piece of cake."

"I understand. That's why I will have to work harder than ever, getting back as much of the time I lost as possible. The hospital should watch out now that I'm back…" Cracking her knuckles, she gave a maniacal smirk, "I'm going to be going through the staff and make amendments."

"I pity them. I really do." Jiraiya shook his head, before he looked back at Naruto, "Alright kid, here is where we split up. I've gotta go report, and you have your stuff to do." And with a puff of white smoke, he disappeared.

Tsunade too, gave a yawn, before activating shunshin no jutsu, along with Shizune, and before long, three members of team six were the only ones left at the gate. Naruto rolled his eyes at the Sannin's behaviour, before turning to Sakura and Ino, "Well then, I'm sure your mothers would want to know of your return, you guys go ahead. I need to go check up on Kireki-ne-chan as well. I'll meet up with you later. Ja ne!" With that same foxy grin, he took to the roofs of buildings and leapt into the distance.

Staring amusedly at his fading shadow, both girls glanced at each other before nodding.

"Yeah…"

"He's right."

Deciding to stroll instead of rush, the three chatted amiably as they made their way to Ino's house first. Knowing her mum, she would most likely be tending to her flowers and with any luck, Sakura's mother would be there as well for her daily chat. Sure enough, as their noses picked up the aroma of the flowers, their eyes focused on Haruno Nayuki and Yamanaka Yukiko.

It seemed that Yukiko was having a short break and they were currently seated outside the shop, enjoying the morning breeze. Both were staring off in the distance, and just as the group decided to make their presence known, Nayuki spoke up, "I do worry about them sometimes… those two push themselves a little too hard without realizing it."

Yukiko gave an exasperated sigh, "Well, I can't really blame them for that. Their reason for doing that would be because of Naruto-kun, and yet the boy himself works harder than anyone else, so in a way, we should be thanking him instead."

Nayuki chuckled, "Haha, true that. I think that after the Chuunin exams, we need to have a talk with our daughters. Naruto has Kireki and the others to decide for him. No matter what they say, working so hard at age thirteen will definitely come back to hit them later on."

Yukiko shrugged, "You know they won't believe you."

"Even so, a parent can only try."

Sakura and Ino both looked at each other silently, their mother's words going through their minds, moved once again by the affection and care their mother had shown even while they were away. This is the kind of bonds within families that could never be broken, hence, it was without hesitation that they rushed over to them and hugged their mothers.

Surprised, Yukiko and Nayuki pulled their daughters into embraces as well, glad to see that they were safe. Knowing they most likely heard it all, Nayuki chuckled, "Well, how did it go?"

Sakura bit her lips, before muttering, "Mum, I'm sorry for not being at home more…"

"Eh…? Oh. Ohhhh! You're getting the wrong idea Sakura! Sigh, you kids have such weird ways of thinking nowadays."

"Huh?"

"What I said back there, about you guys needing a break, it's for your mental health. At age thirteen, the amount of matters you would have to consider is _nothing_ compared what you have to go through when you're thirty. Pushing yourself too hard only serves to kill your personality and hinder your progress. What I meant to say was that you to realize that you guys aren't invincible. No one expects you to be able to do what your team is currently doing, to be frank. So you yourself should not be setting goals that are otherwise, foolish to reach." Nayuki concluded, shaking her head as Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Ino decided to put in her comment, "Well, isn't it good to aim high? I mean, that way we would always be working towards it, and from that, we gain a rhythm and improve better?"

Yukiko chuckled once again, "It depends on the person. Believe me when I say lazy people do have their merits. Take for example… Nara Shikamaru. As of now, he has more potential than you two. Do you know why?"

"WHAT?! Shikamaru?! No way!" Ino screeched as she placed the thought of herself being below that lazy ass.

Sakura too showed her doubts on that statement, "Please tell me you're joking Yukiko-baasan."

The blonde merely smiled, "Oh, I knew this would be your reaction. Girls, the fact is, as much as I hate to say it, males will always be stronger than females in the league of shinobi. That is something that you have to come to terms with."

Looks of disbelief prompted her to continue, lest the two get the wrong impression once again, "We're not talking about effort and talent yet. If you put two people, of different genders, with the exact same amount of talent, and put them through the exact same amount of training, the male would more than likely defeat the female. Main reason would be our body structure. Males simply have more raw power. Females may be more agile and flexible, but in the end, it all comes down to the hits you make on your opponent. There will _always_ be times when one has to perform a direct clash. That is when our disadvantage is fully exploited."

"Of course, there are the other aspects such as bloodline limits, techniques, elemental weaknesses et cetera that need to be taken into consideration as well, but even then, we have another disadvantage. There are way less kunoichi compared to shinobi. The chances to prove ourselves may increase, however, the chances that we would mostly be surrounded also proves true."

"Hence, I need to stop the line of thought where 'I can beat a male anytime I want' right here." Nayuki stared at Sakura seriously, "Because if you don't, you'll end up dead Sakura."

The rosette could not believe what she was hearing from her mum. Did she just throw all her reasons for training back into her face? "W-why would you say that?! With enough training, even a kunoichi would – "

Yukiko spoke up this time, "The same applies to shinobi as well. You're not the only ones growing."

"But that's just… that's just…" Ino couldn't find the right words to express her confusion. It was just too sudden. She did not expect her mother of all people to discourage her goal…

"How could you say that?! I thought you of all people would have supported us!" Sakura cried as she took a step away from her mum, "I don't want to hear anymore. No more…" With that, she took off, soon followed by a distressed Ino, leaving behind two sad mothers.

Silence reigned for awhile, before Yukiko spoke up, "Well, that could have gone better…"

"Yeah… they took it harder than we did back then."

"That's because they've stuck truer to their current way to gain power. Hard work does procure good results, but hard work in the _wrong direction_ would give side effects as well. That power would never be pure, and hence, never be able to be fully manipulated. Give them time, I'm sure they'll come around eventually."

"Oh, I know they will. They're our daughters after all."

* * *

_**At the Hokage's Office……**_

"Good job, Jiraiya. You really did meet the deadline." Sarutobi's eyes gained a twinkle as he stared at what he thought was a long lost student.

"Well, what can I say, I'm the man." Jiraiya boasted, getting ready to do his dance again when Tsunade stopped him with a punch on the head.

"Baka." Tsunade ignored the tears gushing out of Jiraiya's eyes at the pain she was causing on his head and focused instead on Sarutobi, "I… I'm back… Sensei…"

"I can see that, Tsunade. And I have to say, that it really is a nice change to see the real you back."

Wincing, the blonde muttered, "I know."

"I won't be nice in my words Tsunade. Your performance has been disappointing and your choice in running away was not the way I would have thought you would choose. But then again, life is full of surprises. I daresay I had enough of my share of them."

Tsunade grimaced, "I get the point…"

"You better, I expect the Godaime Hokage to take over my job and hand over the legacy of the leaf over to the Rokudaime with pride and joy." The smile on his lips softened, "Welcome back, Senju Tsunade."

Clenching her fists, she closed her eyes, forcing in the tears that were threatening to fall. It had been years since she had any contact with Sarutobi, and for her to hear him speak to her in that same kind, fatherly tone was more than she could bear. She knew that he had forgiven her for those selfish things she did long ago, and just like Jiraiya, he was willing to place his bet on her.

"Thank you, sensei…"

How she could have ignored this bond that they shared all these years was beyond her, but at least one thing was for certain now. Senju Tsunade, Slug Sannin of Konoha, soon to be Godaime Hokage was back. Watch out Orochimaru, your fall never seemed so near before…

* * *

_**With Naruto……**_

Opening the door to his apartment, Naruto couldn't help but feel a sense of joy as he realized that he was able to see his precious people once again, "Kireki-ne-chan, Minagi-ne-chan, I'm back!"

"Naruto!" Kireki came in a moment's notice, taking in the slightly new look on Naruto, noting the increase in austerity along with a more mature aura overall.

Following her, the brunette with onyx eyes smirked, before patting him on the head, "Welcome home."

Giving them his foxy grin, he leapt forward and pulled both his older sisters into an embrace, "I have to say, despite my manliness, I did miss you two."

That comment evoked quite a bit of laughter from the two older women, who merely bopped him on the head for the cheeky comment, before they let him go back to his room to unpack his stuff. They decided to all go to the Hyuga Mansion to see Hitomi and the others, and of course, for Naruto to go visit Hinata. It would seem that her wounds had healed and was already recovering at a fast rate.

Somehow, the speed at which the news of Naruto and his team being back in Konoha spread was really fast, and just as he stepped foot into the Hyuga compound, a white blur crashed head on into his stomach, pummeling him to the ground.

"H-h-hanabi…"

"Naruto-ni-chan! You're back!"

"Y-yes… I-I would a-appreciate it…"

"You're stuttering. I thought you said stuttering wasn't good?"

Resisting the urge to do some serious hurt to this… this _brat_, Naruto settled for kissing her on the cheek, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. But just so you know, I'm glad I'm back too." Enjoying the vibrant smile on her face, Naruto and the two Fukei went further in and greeted Hitomi, who absolutely welcomed Naruto's return. She fussed all over the blond boy, insisting that the Hyuga medics give him a check to see if he had any hidden injuries. Truth be told, the older shinobi all knew that he had run-ins with S-rank ninja, yet none of them mentioned anything, and chose instead to nitpick at his wellbeing first, before hearing details of his trip. Hiashi, unfortunately, was not present at the moment and was off dealing with some sort of clan business.

"Alright, alright, I'm off to the hospital now. That baba must have finished her business." Naruto grumbled as Hitomi once again ruffled his hair. It was messy enough already! He would appreciate it if they didn't make it even worse!

"Baba?"

"That Tsunade-sama. Pft, just an old lady with freakish strength."

"Oh? So you did go against her? I'm thinking you got wiped out by her?"

"Indeed, but it still doesn't change the fact that she's an old lady. With wrinkles."

Kireki chuckled, "Why put emphasis on 'wrinkles' Naruto?"

"Because I know you women, especially Minagi-ne-chan, dislike that." Smirking, Naruto ducked Minagi's punch and leapt over the walls, "Alright, alright, I'm off. We'll talk more about this later."

"You're not escaping me brat!" Before long, those two were gone.

The laughter permeated the air as Hitomi got up from her seat, "Kireki, let Tsunade-sama give you a check once more. I'm not completely convinced that you're fine just yet."

Kireki gave an amused smile, "Oh? Why's that Ne-san?"

"Well, this type of stuff, you can never be too sure. Besides, that poison has resided in your body for quite awhile…" Hitomi sighed, "I just want to be sure."

The Hyuga stared at her sister, before nodding, "Alright. Thank you ne-san."

"Baka, I'm the older one, I should be looking out for you."

Kireki turned around and was about to leave, before tilting her head to the side and said, "Thank Ryusei for me."

"W-why would I do that?"

"He told you to say that, didn't he? You checked my chakra system for me yourself, and had said confidently that there wasn't a single trace of poison left. So why would you worry all of a sudden? Ne-san, you're just too easy." Her giggles could still be heard as she left the compound, with Hitomi standing there awkwardly, silently cursing Ryusei for putting her in such a difficult position.

* * *

_**At the hospital……**_

Ryusei was there already, sitting beside Anko's bed with her hand in his. He made it a point to visit her as many times as possible, wanting Anko to feel that she had people supporting her at all times, even when unconscious. He knew for a fact that the most dangerous times of a person losing to the Cursed Seal would be when she was unconscious.

Kakashi was on the other side, staring at the purple-haired beauty without a word. He still remembered vividly the days he spent with her, where she was filled with energy, how her sadistic streak often gave him headaches that were simply lethal, and how her constant upbeat nature made him feel more at ease than anywhere else. Kakashi simply couldn't stand to see her so weak and pale, but he would do it. He would etch this memory into his brain and ensure that, to the best of his ability, Anko would never have to look like this again.

Just then, the curtain was pulled aside and in came Tsunade, followed by Kireki, Minagi and Team six.

"Oh my, so he really did it. Welcome back Tsunade-sama." Ryusei gave a grin at Naruto as he patted him on the back, "Good job mate."

The blond simply shook his head, "Nah, you have to thank ero-sennin for this one. Surprisingly, he did most of the persuading himself this time. My chubby face has failed to win any favours from this sannin."

"Hmph, as if a cheeky brat like you would be of any use." Tsunade walked past Naruto and headed for Anko, "So, this is the one?"

"Yes, that is Anko-sensei."

Placing her hand on Anko's forehead, a green light emitted from her palm, and slowly began to permeate her entire body. It felt just like life force, and slowly, Anko's body regained the normal pink hue one should have within their skin. It was as though the evil had been washed away.

"Ah, the cursed seal again huh? She did well, considering she was fighting against an enemy that could not be eradicated by her own power. Rest easy, all she needs would be a few more sessions with me before she'll be back at the pink of health." The green light gradually subsided, and for the first time in weeks, Mitarashi Anko opened her eyes.

Team six was by her side in an instant, with the Fukei standing behind them, letting them have their moment.

"Sensei!"

"Anko-sensei!"

"Thank god you finally woke up!"

Said woman weakly turned her head towards them, a confused expression on her face, "S-sakura? I-Ino? N-Na… Naruto!" Suddenly showing a burst of strength, she struggled to get off her bed, "Naruto! Orochimaru didn't get him did he?! Naruto!"

The blond hugged her from behind, before cradling her head, "I'm here, I'm here. Ne-san…"

Tears rushed down her cheeks uncontrollably as she sobbed into his arms, "Oh god, I was so worried. I-I saw you charge at him before I lost conscious and, and!"

"I'm fine. Look!" Naruto jokingly pinched his own face, "See, you're not dreaming. I'm alive!"

"Don't joke about that! You stupid, stupid brat! Why did you come save me?! That was Orochimaru!" Anko bashed him over the head, "If you had died because of me… I… I…"

"Ne-san, it's alright now. I'm fine thanks to Sakura and Ino. They pulled me back in the end." He whispered soothingly, "Come now, look at us. We've all grown, and it's all because of you."

Weakly, Anko raised her head and gazed at her genin team, before pulling them all in for a hug, "Come here."

Everyone in the room could feel the sincere affections within the team, and silently enjoyed this little interaction.

Anko placed her head against them all, and gave a small smile, "I guess I'm going soft… but I don't care."

"We missed you too sensei." Ino chirped as she held Anko's hand, "You had no idea how worried _we_ were."

"I know… I know…"

Naruto then spoke up, "Oh, by the way ne-san, guess who's here?"

"Hm? Oh? Oh… Ka-kakashi…" For some reason, she averted her eyes when Kakashi stepped forward.

"Glad to see you back Anko." The white-haired shinobi did his best to keep his emotions under control. Truth be told, he had half a mind to throw away his reputation as a 'hip' man, or so Gai said.

Anko gave a soft 'hn' before asking, "What are you doing here?"

"Just… to check up on you."

"Why?"

"Well… I was… er… worried… about er…"

"You? You the great Kakashi, worried about little ole me?"

Kakashi sighed inwardly, before shaking his head, "If you dislike my presence that much, I'll leave." He moved towards the door, before turning his head and speaking once again, "But just to let you know, yes, I was worried about you." With that, he left the room, leaving Anko to savour those words.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and was about to question Anko's weird attitude towards the Copy ninja, only to find said woman blushing slightly and muttering, "He was worried… he was worried…"

Not even wanting to know just _why_ she was doing that, Naruto chose instead, to change the subject, "Oh yeah, ne-san, Kireki and Minagi are here to see you, along with Ryusei-san."

At that, the purple-haired kunoichi snapped out of her daydream and stared with surprise evident in her eyes, "Ryusei is back?!"

"Sigh, I'm hurt Anko. Deeply hurt to think that of all the people to detect in this room… I would be the last one…" Said brunet entered her line of view before shaking his head, "Is this how you treat an old friend?" The playful smirk on his face said it all, "Oh by the way, congrats on your recovery. Kireki and Minagi were worried sick."

Both Fukei moved forward and took the places of Sakura and Ino, "Yes, so what if we were? She is one of us you know. Besides, who was the one that visited her almost every day along with Kakashi? Hm?"

Ryusei rolled his eyes, "Yes, that was me. I'm sure she doesn't have a problem with that."

Anko started for a moment, before asking, "He came almost _every day_?"

Minagi nodded, "Yep, he really does care for you, you know."

Ryusei interrupted, "Hey, she was definitely not talking about me back there, you know that right?"

The Uchiha slanted a glance at him, "I'm not talking about you either."

"So you're completely ignoring me as well."

"Yes. _You_ have a problem with that?"

"…"

"Good, I thought so."

And with that, she turned back to Anko and chatted with her, happily ignoring the fact that Ryusei had this deadpan look stuck to his face. Kireki chuckled and kissed his cheek, "Poor guy."

"Funny, that's what I'm thinking right now too."

Tsunade let out a short laugh, before going to Anko, introducing herself and lecturing her on the limit to her activities for the next few days. She scheduled a few meetings with Anko and concluded that by the end of this week, she would be up and running.

Naruto grinned, "Great! So she can still help me for a week then. Awesome!"

Sakura and Ino however, merely looked at each other, words of their mothers still clear in their minds.

"Of course she will, Naruto. Then you can get stronger than us again. Aren't you happy?" Ino answered sarcastically.

"Yeah, it feels good to be better than us, doesn't it?" Sakura added on.

Naruto merely blinked and stared at them, "Er… did I say something wrong?"

"No! How could you possibly say anything wrong? You're the strongest of us after all."

"Yeah, might makes right anyway."

Said blond simply frowned, before ignoring the two and turned to Ryusei, "I would like your help for one week. There's this jutsu I was hoping to test if you don't mind."

The brunet seemed surprised and asked, "Oh? Well, it seems to fit that I have this week off. What luck for you. Well, I guess vacation could wait. But if I may ask, what are you attempting?"

"Compression."

"Compre… Ah… I see. Very well then, I would be glad to help you on that. Minagi, Kireki, I'm leaving Anko to you. Make sure she gets better on time, we can't have her missing out on the action now, can we?" Ryusei nodded at Anko once, before turning to Naruto, "So, when do you want to begin?"

The blond thought for awhile, looked at Sakura and Ino once, before shrugging, "Might as well do it now, seeing how I'm not liked here." His nonchalant attitude caused both girls to flinch.

"Haha! I like you, boy. Come now, let's leave the females to their hostility. I'll meet you in the Forest of Death."

"Sure."

And without saying anything more, both disappeared in puffs of smoke.

Kireki frowned at Minagi, only to find her gazing back apologetically, as though sorry for her joke just now. She then sighed and looked at the remaining two members of team six, "Girls? Do you mind me having a word with you?"

"N-no…"

Before they could answer, she had already dragged them out of the room and onto the rooftop. Not one to mince words, she went straight for the point, "Now, what's the problem? One minute you guys are all nice and happy, then the next you two jeer at Naruto for wanting to train."

Sakura stared off, "It's just…"

Ino didn't say anything and chose to look away. She didn't know why she was venting her anger on Naruto, but he seemed like the most appropriate person at that time. After all, he was the closest 'male' to them…

Normally a very patient woman, they were somewhat surprised when Kireki activated her byakugan and stared them down, "What is the problem?"

They were reminded once again that this Hyuga before them was _the_ Byakko. Naturally, they quickly told her what happened. When they finished, both had expressions of anger on their faces, and they were expecting Kireki to do the same. To their surprise, Kireki seemed calmer than ever and deactivated her bloodline, before sighing, "Ah, I see, it's _that_ talk."

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'that talk'?"

Kireki chuckled and told them to calm down, "Girls, what your mothers said was correct."

"What?!"

"Even you think so Kireki-san?!"

"Of course, it's a conclusion that every single Kunoichi would have to come to eventually."

Both girls were shocked beyond description. They had thought that someone would understand them and believe that they could succeed, but now… if one of the elite kunoichi was actually agreeing with the theory their mums put out…

Shaking her head at their expressions, Kireki sighed, "You simply interpreted their meaning incorrectly."

Taking a seat beside them, Kireki continued, "What you guys are having problems with is the simple declaration that Kunoichi are not as strong as Shinobi. Your mothers were absolutely right. A shinobi is stronger than kunoichi. But by strength, it is exactly that, physical strength, pain endurance, and possibly at times, mental strength. Face it, if they capture a kunoichi, they have half a dozen more ways to make her confess the deepest secrets. For shinobi, it'll simply be pain, but for kunoichi, it could be rape. It's a sad fact, but yes, it is the truth."

"Your mothers wanted you two to be prepared for the outside world and not think that the result of failing a mission would be the same as Naruto. Think about it, if he was say, captured during a spy mission, do you think he'll confess secrets of Konoha?"

"Of course not!"

"He would never do that!" The responses were instant.

Kireki nodded, "Exactly, and usually, he would be sentenced to death for that. But you two. If you were captured, trust me when I say this, but even before interrogating you, they would most likely decide to torment you in the most common way possible."

Wincing at that, both girls grew silent, their protests becoming weaker. It seemed that they had indeed misunderstood their mothers.

"But even so! Why did she have to say we could never be as strong as shinobi? That's just…"

"The simple truth. Trust me when I say Tsunade, the epitome of a kunoichi, could never beat her teammate Jiraiya, the well-known clown of the Sannin. They are both equal in terms of status, and therefore, would be a fair comparison. Her strength is undeniable, that much is for certain. But guess who made the statement that she could never defeat Jiraiya?"

Both girls stared at each other, "It can't be… herself?"

"Indeed. Tsunade had once stated, in her prime, that she could never hope to beat Jiraiya in a pure physical fight. Simple reason being that males have more muscular potential than females. Of course, that is a generalization, but looking at Jiraiya, you should be able to understand what Tsunade was talking about."

"Another good example would be kurenai, who specializes in genjutsu, something few shinobi actually look into. Most go for the quick and easy taijutsu like Gai, or the flashy ninjutsu like Kakashi. The whole point of being a kunoichi is to be true to the skills of yourself, not that of comparison to the other sex. Sakura, you focus mostly on taijutsu, don't you? And you Ino, you focus more on ninjutsu, am I correct?"

Both girls looked down, starting to realize the meanings behind their mothers' words. "What they are trying to warn you is that those will not be easy goals. They are testing your resolve. As sad as it is to admit, there has yet to be a female ninjutsu master or a female taijutsu master in the ranks of us ninja. Tsunade merely has strength, but not the kata of people like Gai or Hiashi. I myself have the kata, but not as much power to back it up. Minagi excels in ninjutsu, but her capacity frails in comparison to that of Ryusei. You see my point?"

"Yeah… as much as I hate to say it… you're right. Mum's right."

Kireki gave a satisfied nod before speaking once again, "You see, your mothers must have been worried that by being around Naruto's training methods for so long, you might think that his way of working hard would work the same way as you. A female has to focus on different training regimes if they want to truly become strong."

Ino gasped, "So that's why she kept saying I cannot reach my goal at this rate. She was… oh god, and I got all angry at her."

Kireki laughed, "Girls, it's a normal reaction. We've all been through it, your mothers too have been given this talk. And trust me, it's always the same. It was especially funny for Kurenai, who threw a huge tantrum the moment her jonin sensei gave her this talk. Anko chose to be in the interrogation department because she wanted to prove that she can be just as sadistic as any male. So yes, different people choose different paths, but trust me when I say that feminine pride will always be the same."

The evening slowly came to an end as Sakura and Ino bid Kireki goodbye and went back to their house. They walked together on the road, wanting to apologize to both mothers and speak of their resolve. Though they now understood the intentions of their mothers, however, they felt that they still needed to show them that they would not give up their goals, of being strong, stronger than most shinobi in order to protect, and to always stay by the side of that one man.

Seeing how this all started in the Yamanaka household, they decided to return to Ino's house first. Surprisingly enough, just as they neared her home, a clear voice could be heard, "I disagree. That point of view is merely a generalization. There is no proof to show that a kunoichi could not be as strong as a shinobi, physically or mentally."

Silently gasping, both quietly tip-toed and pressed their ears to the door, wondering why Naruto was here at this moment.

Naruto then continued, "Those two have the potential, and most important of all, determination to surpass all odds. I've trained with them for the longest, and yes, some of their methods are not the most efficient ones, however, they have been slowly refining them and heading towards a more specialized direction. Ino has specifically worked on chakra control more so than doing physical exercises because she has begun to realize, when the rate of using up chakra is decreased, it has a much better effect than wasting chakra with an enlarged capacity."

"Sakura already has good chakra control, and now, she focuses on muscular training, so as to ensure that her punches will not backfire and cause damage to herself. They've really grown and matured over this period, so after hearing what you said to them, I completely agree with their anger. Hell, I would be angry."

Biting her lips, Ino quietly spoke, "That baka…"

Nayuki's voice was then heard, "Oh? I assumed you would have agreed with us. After all, you do train harder than them."

"So? Training harder may not always mean higher efficiency. Besides, I train not to compare to others. I train to understand just how much more I need to do in order to become strong enough to protect those precious to me. As of now, those two are closer to their goals than I am to mine. Because of what's inside me, I need to overcome far more obstacles in order to achieve my dream. I train harder to ensure that what happened in the Forest of Death does not happen a second time."

Sakura clenched her fists, "He really is a baka…"

Yukiko chuckled, "Alright then, Naruto-kun, so can I trust to put Ino in your hands?"

"… Eh?"

"Yeah, me too. I'm willing to place Sakura with you."

"Say what…?"

Unable to take this anymore, Ino opened the door in one violent swing and stepped in, her face bright red, "MUM!"

"Oh, look, my little princess is back." Yukiko grinned as she looked at the embarrassed Ino, "Why don't you say hello to the man who came to see me this afternoon after you unconsciously threw your anger at him and asked me what happened after they visited their homes?"

Nayuki smiled and spoke as well, "Come now, Sakura, I didn't know you had such a bad temper. I pity the guy who has to put up with you every day."

Looking at anywhere but at Naruto, Sakura grimaced before muttering, "I'm sorry."

Naruto stood for a moment, before sighing, "As long as you two have sorted things out, it's all good. I still have a few things to do tonight. I'll see you girls tomorrow. Night."

Turning back, he bid the two elder woman goodbye and left in a shunshin. Ino and Sakura both instinctively reached out their hands, only to catch nothing but white smoke, their faces filled with regret.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Go find him!"

Ino bit her lips, "I'm so sorry mum…"

Yukiko laughed, "It's alright my princess. We've all been through this… and ask Nayuki… when we did… the same people will always appear."

The rosette laughed, "Indeed they do. Interesting men who seem to place us women on a pedestal higher than even themselves…" She looked at her daughter, before smiling, "Sakura, go."

Glancing at each other, they both took in a deep breath and nodded, before rushing out of the house. They knew that with Ino's chakra tracking abilities along with Sakura's sensing ones, they would be able to find Naruto in no time.

True to their thoughts, Naruto was found sitting by himself on the Hokage's monument, staring out into the dark sky. He didn't even turn around when he heard two pairs of footsteps walk towards him. He closed his eyes and asked, "Yes?"

Ino nervously held her hands behind her back, asking, "I… I need to apologize…"

"You don't. I understand."

Sakura timidly replied, "Naruto…"

"I'm just disappointed that you two didn't come straight out and tell me about it. I mean, it's not like I would take offense to you two thinking I'm in the wrong, but please, next time, don't make me worry like that. It's not like you."

Both girls winced as Naruto turned around, a frown on his face, "And please, next time when someone says you can't be better than a male, do rebut in a better way. Running from it won't solve anything. You heard your mothers, from tomorrow onwards, you two will be training along with me, and until the day you can defeat me, I won't let up on you two." A small grin appeared on his face, "You girls better be ready."

Two pairs of arms laced themselves around his torso as they hugged him as hard as they could. There wasn't anything else to be said. Let this event sink into their memories as the day where their bonds strengthened even further.

Back in the residential district, two men came back from their work, tired as hell. To them, the best thing that happened to them was the two women standing before them, eyes filled with amore as they tended to their needs, soothingly relieving them of their stress, and lovingly accepting them, welcoming them back to their home.

"What's the occasion Yukiko? You seem very… I don't know how to put it." Inoichi gave his wife a small smile.

"Well, things did happen. I was just reminded of how much I loved you."

"Oh? Then I really should thank whoever made you remember that."

"You certainly should, and you could repay him for being our son-in-law when the time comes."

"…Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait… You're telling me I have to give up my precious princess one day?! NEVER!!!"

"Oh stop being such a child. You know who I'm talking about."

"Haha, your reactions to my random bursts never fail to amuse me. Truth be told, Naruto would make a wonderful son-in-law."

"Did I hear correctly? Did you just agree to Ino being married?"

"You heard right."

"Oh, I feel faint."

"Well then, why don't I help you… into bed!"

"Ah! What are you doing! Inoichi! Ah…"

In the house of the Haruno, Kenji sighed as his wife helped give him a massage in bath. "I don't know what happened, but I sure am glad that you agreed to marry me in the first place."

"Hehe, why would you say that?"

"Well, every time I come home, I feel that there is no way I could feel more in bliss than I already am, but each time you prove me wrong. Hm… what's your secret?"

"Aren't you a sweet talker?"

"Yes I am. But you know you love me."

"I do, more than you could ever imagine."

"Oh, I think I won't be too far off…"

"Why don't you show me then… just how much you love me…"

"I think I will… right here… right now…"

"Kenji…"

Just like they had said, unexpected men that placed these women on a pedestal higher than even themselves. Nayuki had been on an A-rank mission, and was just about to be defeated when Kenji appeared as her backup, saving her just in time. When she came to the conclusion that she could never be better ever again, Kenji had angrily declared, "Don't you dare give up right now! Until the day you beat me to a pulp, I'll be the one to protect you! So hold your horses and stop this wishy-washy façade! This isn't you!"

Inoichi had a much easier declaration. Yukiko had fallen ill and at one point, was almost taken off the active duty roster. Inoichi had been mere acquaintances with her at that time, however, he had visited her almost every day, just to reassure her that she wasn't alone. That slowly blossomed, and before she could even think about how she wasn't going to be of any use as a shinobi ever again, Inoichi had her up and running.

Hence, the two women had no doubts, that their daughters were in safe hands.

Indeed they were, for Sakura and Ino were reminded once again, just why they felt so secure lying in Naruto's arms…

* * *

_**NOTE: Two anonymous females seemed to entertain the idea of dragging what I wrote for kunoichi in fanfiction into a representation of real human females in real life. Now that to me is ridiculous, but if they really needed somewhere to drop off their frustration at being looked down upon, I have nothing much to say. I state once again, that the stuff ABOVE are for fiction. This is the third time I've said this throughout the entire fic. I seriously hope my point is clear, because frankly, it's getting on my nerves. **_

_**That aside, I'll try and get the next chap out faster. Hope you've enjoyed it! XD**_


	35. Clash of Prodigies

_**A/N: Alright, after that what we've seen in the manga, there is no longer anything called overpowered anymore. If Konohamaru knows Rasengan, then obviously Naruto can begin flying at age 5. Jeez…**_

_**Anyway, those two anonymous females, since you so wanna drag your real life into my piece of fiction and insult me over it, be my guest, though you should know all it did was make me laugh at your pathetic proofs of your 'existence' of superiority. Frankly, what you go through, I don't care, nor will I ever, so please, don't come yapping to me about that kinda shit, okay? Don't like my fic, don't read it. It's that simple. **_

_**Oh! And I've found the perfect excuse for my cheesy lines in romance. Guess what, THEY'RE THIRTEEN. You people just imagine all sorts of smooth talking and all that, but unfortunately, I do not have anything in that department, no experience in romance, so I have to disappoint. For that I sincerely apologize. Though it might get better later on. I'll work on it anyway.**_

_**Now that the annoying stuff are out of the way, let's continue. Chunin exams people, finally we can start this arc thingy. Have to say, it's gonna be quite tedious, because obviously, most of us have read thousands of different versions for it, but heck, I'll try my best, and we'll see how it goes. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 35: Clash of Prodigies

Today was the day. One where almost everyone in Konoha looked forward to. The final stage of the Chuunin exams was about to begin. Foreign shinobi, tourists, local citizens along with Konoha's own shinobi all entering the arena with the thought of seeing just how good this batch of genins are from all participating countries. Granted, only those of Suna and Konoha have entered the finals, but because of this, the need to see for themselves just how good they were rose higher than ever.

For foreign ninja, they need to assess the strength of Konoha's young 'seeds' in order to develop strategies to compete against them. For citizens of Konoha, the want to feel proud in front of others grew stronger than ever. The sensei of these genin too would like to see just how far their students are able to go.

Yet underneath all these, the higher-ups and the ones involved in this event know, something big was about to happen. This village shall soon undergo one of the biggest crises it has ever witnessed. However, there was no doubt in their minds that they would pull through. Hokage-sama, two of the three Sannin, all of the Shi Fukei back at full capacity, ANBU and hunter-nin along with all jonin, tokubetsu or not, alert and ready to fight in a moment's notice.

Within the stadium itself, only two squads of ANBU were present. A few jonin were seated around the stadium, along with a lot of chuunin who held much interest in the new talent. Sandaime Hokage would be up in the special balcony, with Raido watching over him. No one else would be present.

Sarutobi stared out of the window as he spoke, "Ready?"

"Heh, you're one to talk old man."

Turning around, the Hokage replied, "I'm counting on you, Ryusei."

"Hai!" In a flash, he was gone.

Jiraiya and Tsunade rose from their seats, serious expressions spread over their faces. With simultaneous nods, both headed for their respective destinations. All they got from their sensei was a simple smile, along with a puff of that pipe of his. It was good to see that he still had that habit, and because of that, their confidence in him had never wavered over the years. True, he did make mistakes here and there, but it only goes to prove the saying that no one was perfect. One who attempted to be perfect, shall with no doubt end in ruins. Orochimaru was that person, and they would be the one to help take him down.

Putting out his pipe, he picked up his hat, and nodded at his secretary Izumi, before heading out of the door, "It is time…"

* * *

_**In Konoha……**_

"Are you ready?" Kireki asked as she gave Naruto one last check using her Byakugan to ensure that he really was at one hundred percent capacity. There was nothing worse than having some sort of hidden handicap that you had no idea of during a tournament of life and death.

Minagi chuckled, "Oh relax, he'll be fine. If he doesn't make it, we won't be the first ones to kill him."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Right, that just makes me feel so much better."

The Hyuga laughed merrily, "I pity the fool that dare incur the wrath of those two lovely girls."

"You seem to entertain the idea of me becoming chopped liver… literally…"

"Why yes, wouldn't you find that absolutely fascinating?"

"Ne-san, sarcasm is not needed at a time like this. Promise me, both of you, that you would be careful." Naruto looked at them seriously.

"Awwww, little Naru-chan worrying about me? I'm flattered beyond belief!" Anko cooed as she laced her arms around Naruto's neck, "But gaki, do remember who you're talking to. You worrying about my skills? Ha! Ten years too early!"

"Well, yeah, you've just recovered. Even though you're Genbu of the Shi Fukei, there's no guarantee that you wouldn't be injured or anything…" Naruto grumbled, "Besides, I find it very hard to believe that you would only remember to inform us of your position so long after we became your students…"

Anko grinned, "Well, I thought you would have figured that out by now."

"True, after all, there had to be a reason why three of the Fukei were worried about you. I probably should blame my own stupidity for not seeing it sooner, but oh well."

"Nevertheless, gaki, you're up against Ichibi no jinchuuriki, you up for some serious scrap?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, glancing at the three women before him before flexing his biceps, "You see this? I've put on some serious weights training over this last week. I ain't gonna lose if that's what you're thinking."

Minagi snorted, "Of course you're not going to lose. I just don't want to see a draw, if you know what I mean."

"No worries. I'll win or die trying, heh." Naruto scratched the back of his head, before he got whacked by Kireki, "Ouch! Oi!"

"You had better not die in such an exam." Kireki scolded him warningly, "Never underestimate an enemy – "

"And never overestimate your ability, yes, yes, we've gone over this billions of times already, can I just go already?"

"Ho? Aren't you the eager one?"

"Hell yeah, the quicker I see his face smashed in, the better I'll feel." Naruto smirked maniacally, "He won't die, I'll make him beg me for his death, mwahahahahha… OUCH!"

Kireki sighed, "You've hung around Anko for too long. And here I was thinking she was going to be a good influence on you…"

"Hey! I'm right here you know?"

"Precisely…"

"… That hurt a lot more than it should."

"I'm just joking An-chan."

"Still hurting…"

Naruto laughed in mirth at the amusing interactions between these two, before turning back to Minagi and smiling, "Thanks… for helping me with that ninjutsu. Tell Ryusei-san that I thank him once again."

The brunette gave a rare smile, before patting him on the head, "It's been a while since the both of us met a ninjutsu sponge, so really, we should be thanking you for letting us have our fun."

Naruto grinned, "Well, it _was_ fun, albeit tiring, but at least I've got it. Absolute defense here I come… heh."

Minagi chuckled, "True, that sand of his would never be able to withstand the pressure. Well, let's not keep you longer than we need to. Kireki, Anko, let's get going. Ryusei's waiting for us."

Both women stopped their bickering instantly and switched their playful sides off. Kireki gave Naruto one last hug before kissing him on the forehead, "I would say 'good luck', but I'm guessing you're not going to need it."

Naruto smiled, "Say it anyway, there is no such thing as too much good luck."

Kireki chuckled, "True. Well then, good luck Naruto. I'll be looking forward to seeing you in a Chuunin vest."

Anko merely ruffled his hair and smirked, "Go get them Naru-chan."

Slightly miffed at having his hair messed up even more, he rolled his eyes, "Hai, hai."

"One more thing."

"Hm? Ah…" Naruto felt a kiss on his cheek before Anko pulled him in for a warm embrace, "Don't get risky, okay?"

Naruto leaned into her hug and nodded firmly, "Will do."

"Promise me."

Grimacing, the blond shook his head, "No can do. If I have to, I will. You know that."

Anko sighed, "Exactly why I want you to promise me, but oh well, I guess you're all grown up now. You make me so proud, sniff, sniff."

"Ah, cut the fake tears ne-san."

"Tch, ruin my fun."

Naruto looked at the clock before heading for the door, "Time to go." Suddenly, he spun around and saluted the three, "Speed is of the essence!" And with that, he disappeared with a quick shunshin.

Kireki laughed, "Oh, that boy!"

Minagi shook her head, amused by that last line, "Well, least he never fails to surprise. Just when I thought he couldn't get more random…"

Anko smiled softly, before she gazed at the other two, "Hi no Kuni no Genbu… reporting for duty."

* * *

_**Outside the Stadium……**_

"That Naruto…" Ino gritted her teeth as she looked at her watch for the umpteenth time, "Just how long does he intend to keep us waiting?!"

Sakura sighed, "Ino, calm down. You know him, he'll turn up… eventually."

"When's that 'eventually' gonna be?! It's starting!"

The rosette couldn't really argue against that. It was pretty annoying that her teammate had somehow gained the habit to be late on extremely important occasions, ones that involved him participating a formal exam of some sort.

"Well, least we now have the reason to bash him after the exams." Sakura shrugged.

"Damn straight there's going to be some serious hurt!" Ino seemed to be in a very bad mood as she glared at anyone that even dared to comment on her attitude, "He better be here in five seconds or somebody's gonna be sorry."

"Ino, relax!"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Five. Four. Three. Two. On – "

"Yo, watcha counting down for?" Naruto had decided to pop out of nowhere just then, causing Ino to instantly latch her hands around his neck and begin the strangling and shaking.

"Where the _hell_ have you been?!"

"I-Ino… you're very violent this morning…" Naruto stuttered as he tried to regain his bearings after being flung all over the place.

Sakura chuckled, "Well, if someone had bothered to visit her last night instead of going to some secret place to perfect an extremely dangerous and possible S-rank destructive move, we wouldn't be having this conversation now, would we?"

Naruto sighed, before staring at Ino, "Girl, you're not seriously angry because of… crap you are!"

"Hell yeah I am! Get back here you mphpfpfmhfph… hm… ah… mmmm…" She didn't get to finish her sentence as Naruto had already planted his lips on hers, catching her in a passionate kiss that made her temporarily forget her thoughts of pummeling her lover.

Sakura watched on with an amused expression whilst several passer-bys gave them wolf-whistles. Ino finally broke the kiss after awhile, panting slightly due to the lack of oxygen and gazed at Naruto with a mixture of love and hate, "Baka…"

Grinning at his brilliant of temporarily escaping a crisis, he was about to enter the stadium before a thought entered his mind. Glancing in Sakura's direction, he decided to surprise her, "Jealous Sakura?"

The rosette seemed surprised that Naruto would actually flirt with her and replied with a slight stutter, "W-who, me? No way!"

Naruto was by her side in a second, one arm around her waist and the other under her bosom, with his lips on her neck, planting butterfly kisses everywhere, "Is that so?"

"N-Naruto…"

"That's for watching me get butchered by Ino, and this…" He gently turned her face towards his before drawing her in for a kiss, "is to get some luck off you, heh."

"Hm… You… tease… ah…"

This ended as Ino leaped onto Naruto's back and clobbered him in the back of his head, "You have a tournament right now you dumbass!"

"Right, right… jeez, no need to get so worked up…" Naruto gazed at Sakura lovingly, before turning back to face a blushing Ino, "I'm sorry, I guess the adrenaline's just getting to me…"

He wasn't lying. His opponent was Gaara, Ichibi no Jinchuuriki, the guy that loved to kill and didn't give a damn about others, meaning if they fought, huge amounts of destruction would occur. Add that onto the incoming invasion, it was going to be quite the carnival…

The pressure on him was large, because it would be up to him to see just how much he could 'legally' injure Gaara. If he failed to subdue Gaara, then the danger Konoha would be in shall increase, whilst on the other hand, if he successfully incapacitated the jinchuuriki, then Konoha forces would have more breathing space. Though everyone just told him to go with the flow, he knew that it was going to have to take much more effort than doing just that. After all, he had a personal grudge to settle with Gaara. As a jinchuuriki, he had the need to change this psychopath into someone better.

There was just too much talent to waste. Face it, if all evil antagonists in the world became good guys, then the amount of power for the so-called 'greater good' of each village would seriously 'rise to the heavens'. But of course, all evil guys want to be 'god', so that's not going to happen; hence it was up to Naruto to at least get Jinchuuriki on their side.

Gaara, as it seemed, simply did not care about anything other than proving his existence, and for him to do that, he had to continue killing people. Naruto had tried to see if it were the seal of his was acting up and though he did find a few mistakes with it, half of the reason Gaara was what he was now had been his mindset. That was, deep within himself, it would seem that Sabaku no Gaara believed that other than killing, he had no other use.

In other villages, perhaps this would be the truth, but in Konoha, Naruto knew that it was not the case. He was the most obvious example, though he had to admit, he still got pressured a lot and he didn't have the most perfect childhood. Nevertheless, he persevered. Reason for that was because he found precious people, so in theory, all he had to do was make Gaara see that he really _had_ people that he should protect right around him to get him to stop his insanity.

Rolling his eyes as he stepped up before Genma, he sighed and waited for the exam to officially begin.

_Easier said than done… ha, how true…_

Shikamaru gave him a lazy smile as he patted him on the shoulder, "You're late, what happened?"

Naruto shrugged, "Not really, I got here in time. Just had to do some thinking."

"Ah, whatever you say. Ready for that sand guy?"

"Ha… it's hard to say. I'm ready physically, now it's the mental bit. I have to get myself to focus on one objective, and I know it's not to kill. That would be a very, very stupid move…"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Why's that?"

Naruto shook his head, "Fighting to kill, with my current abilities, would mean using up all of my chakra, and I can't have that. I'm not going all out here."

"Ah, I see. Well, not really, but then again, it _is_ you we're talking about."

"Tch, lies. You know more than the rest, I can tell just by looking at your eyes Shika."

"Ouch, bullseye."

"So you _do_ know about the invasion."

"You expect me not to? I'm a Nara."

"Then Choji…"

"And Kiba."

"So pretty much everyone knows."

"Indeed."

Naruto nodded, before standing at attention as Genma began the welcoming speech. It was good to know that his friends were all prepared for what was coming. Remembering the match-ups, the blond turned his head slightly and met eyes with one Hyuga Neji.

Said prodigy merely looked at him, before giving him a mock smile and staring ahead once again. Naruto's eyebrow twitched at the nerve of this guy, just because he had worked out his issues with Hiashi regarding his father, then apologized to Hinata and changed his cocky ways did not mean that he could continue with that arrogance of his when it came to _him_! True, Neji had apologized, yes to him as well, but it didn't mean that he still had lukewarm weird attitude when about Naruto. Spooky…

But then again, Naruto had to admit that he was really impressed with Neji. After all, one couldn't expect someone to change overnight, but it seemed that he had indeed done that. Only later, when he asked Hinata, did the girl tell him that Neji had been thinking a lot ever since the preliminaries, and even then, he had repeatedly reviewed his personality and gone over all his ways of treating things. It was then that Hiashi had finally told him about his father and what really happened that day. Emotional as it was, Neji seemed extremely relieved after reading his father's letter.

Truth be said, Naruto was quite looking forward to the first match. After all, it was the battle of prodigies. Hatake Kakashi had trained Uchiha Sasuke for this whole month, and hence, the improvements the Uchiha should show intrigued him. He had always wanted to know just how good a teacher Kakashi was. Kiba and Choji however, didn't seem all that disappointed, and Naruto later found out that Kakashi had left Kage Bunshin behind each day for those two and hence, though it wasn't exactly the same as having the real sensei, it still helped them a lot. Besides, the main help both had were from their clans, and all the Kakashi kage bunshin did was spar with them. What they needed was not more techniques but experience, and hence what better way than to continuously fight them?

Speaking of which, where _was_ Kakashi? Scratch that, where's emo-pants? Naruto raised an eyebrow as he looked around the arena, searching for any sign that the Uchiha 'genius' was within the stadium.

He did however, catch sight of Sakura and Ino in their seats, Sakura with her legs crossed, Ino with her arms entwined, both staring at him with glum expressions on their faces. Naruto sweatdropped slightly, knowing how both of them were blaming his sudden 'entrance' into the stadium without another word. To them, he had simply stared off into the distance, eyes slightly unfocused, before he snapped out of it and entered without saying anything.

Berating himself for being such a jerk, he dropped his shoulders slightly and took in a deep breath, before attempting to project his thoughts. He knew that Ino would be able to pick them up subconsciously, hence if he simply concentrated on what he wanted to tell them, she would 'hear' his thoughts.

Ino had schooled her face into indifference, completely dissatisfied with how Naruto had been treating them. Her mind had been working on all sorts of ways to torture the blond when suddenly, a familiar voice entered through her ears, interrupting her thoughts. Raising her eyebrows, she listened to the thought till the end, before blushing deeply.

Sakura was surprised when Ino suddenly started giggling with a huge blush on her face, her hands covering her mouth as she looked at Naruto, who was currently having that fox-like grin again. Wondering just what had happened, she was about to ask when Ino motioned for her to bring her ear closer, and in no time at all, she too was listening to just what Naruto had 'thought'.

The blond down in the arena breathed a sigh of relief as both girls seemed to forgive him and focused on what Genma had to say. Apparently, Neji and Sasuke would fight one on one, while the rest would be up in the balcony, doing whatever they liked. This suited him just fine, because he would have more time to meditate before his match came up.

On the way up, Gaara had caught his eyes before a cruel smirk rose to the surface. Naruto frowned at that look and shook his head, "We'll see."

Temari stood silent behind Gaara and did her best to not let her anxiety show. This invasion depended mainly on Gaara's destructive abilities, yet from what she had seen, that Naruto guy was not one to be messed with. Sure, Gaara had the Ichibi, but for some reason, Temari kept getting the vibes that the blond wasn't showing his true strength either. It might be because of that confidence he had…

Many confident people had challenged Gaara and lost. But he was different. Naruto's confidence didn't come from words, his came from actions. So far, he was the only one to withstand Gaara's killing intent and even repel it with his own. That alone spoke volumes of his abilities. Killing intent depended on the mental aptitude of a person, hence for one to project that much, one had to be extremely experienced in that department.

Sighing quietly, she prayed that this would all end as planned. Beside her stood Shikamaru, who merely took one look at her and snorted, "Worried much?" Then he stepped backwards and leaned against the wall, "Uaaaaghhhhh… so sleepy… man, what a drag…"

With her eyebrows furrowed, she eyed this lazy Konoha genin with disdain, before huffing and turning her face away, not even bothering to acknowledge his presence.

_And to think that this is my opponent, hmph, pathetic._

Shikamaru, on the other hand, was thinking along the lines of:

_Why do I always get females as opponents…? _

Kiba and Choji waved Naruto 'hi', before they began chatting about recent events. Kiba was bragging about how his skills had improved greatly under his sister and mother's tutelage. Naruto had jokingly mentioned that indeed, under those beauty, anyone's 'skills' would have increased. Of course, this brought the Kiba bearing down on Naruto menacingly telling him to take it back, while Choji merely tilted his head, unable to follow the conversation.

Shino stayed on the side, quietly listening to their conversations as he meditated. He was going to have save his strength and observe the first match carefully, after all, he had no intention of losing in the first round.

Neji stood below with his arms crossed, waiting patiently for his opponent to appear. He had long since heard of Kakashi's habit of being late, and hence was not surprised that Uchiha Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

Genma frowned as he looked up at the balcony, clearly waiting for instructions from the Hokage. The crowd was quickly getting restless at the lack of action, and shouts of rage were heard from certain individuals.

Sarutobi closed his eyes and gave a nod of approval. Genma understood the gesture and began, "Well, because Uchiha Sasuke has yet to arrive, the winner of the first match shall be – "

A burst of leaves appeared before him as Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke arrived at the arena. The famous copy ninja scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I'm sorry, we're not late are we?"

Sasuke merely stared at the surroundings with cold eyes, not bothering to even give an excuse for his lateness. Genma merely shook his head in exasperation, "You're late… but at least you made it. You there, you're Uchiha Sasuke?"

Said Uchiha nodded, "Yeah."

"Alright then, let's get started." Genma motioned for Kakashi to get off the battlefield, before stepping between the two genin.

All was quiet as Neji and Sasuke became the major focus on the field. Kakashi had already retreated back to the stands, where he stood with Gai, who greeted him as they both waited to see their prized pupils fight it out. Hinata was at the stands along with her parents and Hanabi, all waiting to see just how Neji would perform. With a smile on her face, she cupped her hands and yelled, "Get him Neji!"

This brought more than a few stares at the Hyuga heiress, who instantly blushed several shades of red with all the attention on her. Sitting beside her, Hanabi giggled as she whispered something in Hinata's ear, which only served to earn more blushes from her. Hiashi shook his head in amusement, before nodding at Hitomi, receiving a pleased laugh in return.

Naruto couldn't help but gape as he heard Hinata give that shout. What was this?! Hinata like never, as in, _never_, shouts. What the hell?! Did Neji have something to do with this?! He did, didn't he?! It's all because of Neji, right?!

Down in the field, even one as calm and collected as Hyuga Neji couldn't help but blush after that exclamation from Hinata. It wasn't because it was embarrassing, but more because he felt pleased that the shy heiress was able to cheer for him despite her bashful nature. It made him feel immensely relieved that he made the right choice, and that he had decided to look at Fate in a different light. Perhaps that Uzumaki had been right at the start, Fate was not meant to be set at birth, but rather, to be paved throughout one's life…

Sasuke smirked as he teased Neji, "That your girlfriend?"

Neji snapped out of his reverie and frowned, "Please do not make fun of Hinata-sama like that."

"Oh? I would have thought you branch members would be happy at picking up such a prize as her." Sasuke ignored the warning and continued, deciding to start the battle off with a jeer.

Narrowing his eyes, Neji instantly settled into his Juken stance, Byakugan activated and ready to go any moment.

"Wow, scaaaary. Why don't we settle whose eyes are more superior, hm?" Sharingan flashed to life as Sasuke stared down his opponent.

Nothing happened for about a minute, as both decided to gauge the other's strength. The tension in the atmosphere gradually increased as both began expelling chakra, wanting to intimidate the other as they both got ready to begin.

Pupil-less eyes looked right into eyes with two tomoes each. It was time…

In an instant, Sasuke had rushed forward, hands flashing into seals, "Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu! _(Fire Style: Grand Fireball technique)_" He had decided to start off with the basics, slowly get himself into a rhythm, before loading the big guns.

Neji clenched his fist, gathering chakra to his hand, before pushing it forward, "Hakke: Kushou! _(Eight Divinations: Air Palm)_"

The transparent projectile of chakra collided straight on with the flames, successfully getting rid of them as Neji launched his next strike. Precise hits meant to disable, immobilize and hinder the opponent, that was the style of Juken. Speed need not be a priority, but in this case, Neji definitely seemed to be getting into the spur of things.

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he was forced to evade yet another series of attacks. This guy's taijutsu was extremely irritating. No matter which angle it came from, he always seemed to be able to chain the strikes together, preventing Sasuke from doing anything other than dodge.

Having had enough of this, Sasuke quickly leapt backwards, "Katon: Hosenka no jutsu! _(Fire style: Phoenix Fire technique)_" Small fireballs were sent flying at Neji as the prodigy once again utilized Hakke Kushou to deflect them. This time however, hidden within the flames were shuriken, who gained mobility after the chakra projectile collided with them, sending them into frenzy as they were drawn towards Neji due to a reverse flow of chakra.

"Hakke Kaiten!" Not bothering to hide his aces, Neji proved just why he was the genius of the Hyuga. Gasps were heard all around the stadium. Kaiten was the move of Hyuga's Soke _(main family_), and for one as young as him in the Bunke _(Branch family)_ to know of such a move, it was amazing, to say the least. Needless to say, the shuriken were deflected with ease as Neji settled back into his stance with grace.

Sasuke gave a grunt as he decided to take things up a step, "Katon: Endan! _(Fire style: Flame missile)_" Launching yet another fire attack at Neji, the Uchiha went over his options. Taijutsu was out because this guy was obviously a close-ranged fighter, genjutsu wouldn't be too, too helpful in this case seeing how he wasn't exactly proficient in that area. Hence it left him with one choice: ninjutsu.

Neji side-stepped the attack and was about to go on the initiative when he detected a presence behind him. Feeling multiple fuma shuriken travelling his way, Neji drew on his chakra and utilized Kaiten one more time.

Sasuke grinned as he watched the chakra strings slowly revolve themselves around Neji torso, having sunk into the chakra sphere given their special properties. Before long, Neji soon felt his body becoming heavier and the speed at which he was spinning severely decreased. Silently cursing, he prepared himself for the attack that was to come.

"You're mine! Katon: Ryuka no jutsu! _(Fire style: Fire dragon technique!)_"

Before long, Neji found himself on the receiving end of one huge blazing beast. Normally, a genin would definitely not have the reflex to react to such a situation, however, this was Hyuga Neji.

Amidst the gasps of the audience, Neji once again displayed astonishing prowess as he took one step backwards, his hands crossed in front of his chest as he glared right at the incoming attack, "Hakke…"

A pulse of chakra was emitted from him as he moved his hands up and down, forming a minor current of chakra, before he slowly spun his body once, settling in a stance in which his body was pressed low in a crouch, with one foot before him, completely stretched out. Just as the flaming dragon came crashing down on him, he swept a perfect circle with his left leg, emitting a blast of chakra from the chakra current he had already instilled into the air earlier, pushing the fire attack back slightly, before his right palm slammed forth, connecting with the fire dragon.

Cries of worry along with shouts of excitement were heard from the audience as this played out. Sasuke frowned as he awaited the huge explosion. He was positive that there was simply no way Neji could have evaded his attack, so why so quiet?"

To the audience, it was clear. Neji had somehow achieved equilibrium with the fire dragon, preventing it from moving even one inch forward. Digging his left heel deep into the ground, he made sure his pivot was firm, before his eyes flashed open, that familiar pulse of chakra washing over the environment as he executed his attack.

Flipping his palm over, he slid his hand over to the left side of the dragon, before swirling his right arm slowly, over and over. "Yuuryusho! _(Eight Divinations: Palm of the Wandering Dragon)_" The speed at which his arm moved increased substantially as he gave a loud war cry, successfully capturing the flaming beast within his torrent of chakra.

Sasuke could only watch wide-eyed as Neji began to move in a circle as well, but that wasn't what surprised him. No, Neji was moving _sideways, _left foot after the right foot, right on the line he had made with that sweep of his at the start of the attack. Moving in a perfect circle, the fire dragon of Sasuke's was soon sucked into vortex and on the verge of obliteration as Neji finished one perfect rotation around his circle.

By this time, shouts of amazement along with whistles of appreciation at his skill were heard all over the stadium. This was just unbelievable! No one had ever heard of destroying a ninjutsu attack like that!

Finally deciding that it was time to end this, Neji gave one last swirl of his right arm, before sweeping it forcefully to the side, and with his left arm, pulsing fully with chakra, he smashed it right into the compressed vortex of chakra, blasting it right then and there, utterly erasing its existence. The backlash of the explosion sent debris all over the place, forcing Sasuke to leap backwards.

The chaos settled down after a few moments as the dust cleared, only to show Neji back in his stance, looking as calm as ever, though the arrogant smirk on his face was there for all to see. Sasuke on the other hand, had a few cuts on his arms due to the blast just now, and was seen with his fists clenched, his gaze absolutely murderous.

The crowd was now in frenzy. All this happened in the mere time span of five minutes, and already they were given a great show. This was definitely a match that was to be remembered!

Looking at his teammate, Lee couldn't help but smile, "As expected from you, Neji…"

Tenten, who was sitting beside him, laughed, "That's true. Go Neji! Kick his ass!"

Even Gai couldn't contain his excitement, "YOSH! NEJI! SHOW HIM THE BURNING FLAMES OF YOUTH!!!!"

For once, Neji let Gai's more than embarrassing comment slide, because right now, he was feeling confident that ever. With this move, Neji had already shown Sasuke that any more large scale ninjutsu attacks would be pointless, as they would all be erased just like this one.

Sasuke acknowledged this fact and sighed. He hadn't wanted to use this so soon, but he had no choice. No taijutsu, no genjutsu, and now even ninjutsu seemed to be on the verge of failure. Well then, as harsh as it would seem, he would have to use _it_.

Releasing the clip of bandages on his right forearm, Sasuke took in a deep breath, as he activated his Sharingan eyes once again. Remembering the words of Kakashi, he first rotated his wrist once, before flexing his biceps, ensuring that there were no injuries to the muscles. Thinking back to his training, he re-visualized the aspects of chakra manipulation that was required for this technique.

Kakashi's eyes widened as he saw Sasuke dash towards Neji, "Uh oh… he's really going to use it?"

Neji frowned slightly as he saw Sasuke charge him face-on. Not wanting to underestimate his opponent, he side-stepped before sending another Hakke Kushou at the Uchiha, wanting to keep him at a distance.

Deftly evading the projectile, Sasuke suddenly sped up, demonstrating pure speed that was enough to rival even that of Lee's for just a short moment, Sasuke had already ended up halfway up the huge wall in the west of the stadium.

"Haaaaaarrrrghhhhhh!!!!" First tiny sparks were all that could be seen, but before long, a bright flash of light erupted from his hand as lightning elemental chakra crackled to life in his right palm. Placing his left hand over his right, he controlled the output, steadied it and then focused. The density of the chakra was very important and hence, it always took awhile to prepare.

Neji eyed the pure chakra in Sasuke's hands with shock, before quickly settling back into the Hakke stance, ready for a Kaiten. This was no ordinary ninjutsu, for someone to be able to summon up chakra that could actually be seen by the naked eye, it had to be very dense and concentrated. Given the fact that it was obviously a lightning-elemental attack, the chances that its purpose was to pierce greatly increased.

"Alright! Take this!" Leaping off the wall in three short bursts, he accelerated to his top speed, Sharingan eyes focused solely on Neji, as he held his right hand back, ready to thrust it in a moment's notice.

Gai's eyes widened, "That's!"

Neji gritted his teeth and instantly began his rotation, "Hakke: Kaiten!"

"Chidori!"

The sound of one thousand birds echoed through the arena as chakra clashed against chakra. The resultant flash was enough to blind most of the shinobi temporarily, but the veterans were still able to witness the interaction.

Sasuke then increased the output of chakra, putting in all that he had, grinning as he felt the defense of Kaiten slowly begin to break down as the lightning chakra pierced through the rotation.

"What is that?!"

"Holy!"

"That's just so cool!"

By the time the light subsided, the deadlock was still being maintained, and everyone could see just what was happening. Neji didn't let down on his spinning and Sasuke was seen pressing on more and more. The other contestants watched on silently, some like Kiba were amazed by the arsenal of techniques these two have shown while others like Naruto and Gaara already knew the outcome of using such jutsu.

Hinata gasped as she realized Neji was gradually beginning to slow down, "Neji!"

Hitomi chuckled, "Relax, Hinata-chan. He'll be fine."

"But – "

"Don't you trust him?" The smile in her eyes was evident.

"… You're right, he'll be fine." Hinata thanked her mother for the boost in confidence and turned her eyes back onto the field.

Just as Sasuke felt that he had the winning edge of this fight, something changed. The feel to the defense he had been penetrating deformed for a second, but that was it required. Sasuke's eyes widened as he was thrown off balance by the sudden change in Neji's Kaiten. For some reason, it seemed that the sphere had grown smaller…

"Raaargh!" Now that the Chidori was no longer as strong as it used to be, Neji had immediately gone on the offensive, "Away with you!" Due to the change in size, the density of Neji's chakra shield had increased. Also, the speed at which Neji had spun seemed to skyrocket and hence when Sasuke's torso came into contact with it, the Uchiha was blasted far stronger than he would have a minute ago.

At this, Hiashi gave a nod of approval as he smiled, "Very good."

Hanabi however, tilted her head, not understanding what had happened and asked, "Ne, ne, otosan, what did Neji do?"

"Kaiten Shuushuku _(Rotating sphere withdrawal)_. Usually, Kaiten is executed with the person's arms spread out in order to maintain balance along with his feet. This way, a larger range is maintained. However, the power would not be extremely efficient in terms of output given the amount of friction and air resistance the person would have to overcome whilst spinning. Hence, the more advanced version of Kaiten, Kaiten Shuushuku, where the user leaves the balancing completely to his feet, and holds his arms in tightly around his body, using centripetal force to help maintain the momentum. This way, though the area of contact is decreased, the speed at which the person is rotating along with the density of chakra the person would be able to expel has greatly increased."

Sakura gave a whistle at the daring execution of Neji, "Wow, now that's not something you see everyday!"

Ino nodded, "Damn, I've only seen Kireki-san demonstrate that once… Neji really is a prodigy. I almost feel sorry for Sasuke. Almost."

Even Gai was bragging, "Haha! Kakashi! I admit that teaching him Chidori was quite unexpected, but even so! The flames of youth within Neji burn brighter than Sasuke could handle! It seems that the victory belongs to Neji this time."

Kakashi deadpanned, "Yeah, yeah, you and your flames of youth, but even so Gai, I wouldn't underestimate Sasuke. He did put in a lot of effort into training this time around."

"Oh? And what could he possibly… what?!"

Just when everyone thought that the match was over, Sasuke seemed to have another ace up his sleeve. Before the Chidori had extinguished, Sasuke removed his left hand from his right and instead chose to place it just above the chakra. Concentrating on his control, he remembered when Kakashi had told him the basics of lightning elemental chakra.

First, it's primary objective was to destroy and pierce. Next, the control had to be precise lest the user suffers backlash of the attacks. And after a whole list of others, there was the one he was currently making use of. Lightning natured elemental works just like electricity…

As stupid as that may seem, it actually gave Sasuke ample possibilities with variations to the technique, and hence, in that one month, this was the one he came up with. Channeling chakra to his left hand, he made it act as a conductor, before placing it just above the Chidori, causing the chakra to surge from his right hand to his left, and then swiftly changing the normal natured chakra to lightning elemental, he was able to amplify the attack, and hence as he landed back on the ground, there he was, with two slightly weaker Chidori within each palm.

The audience couldn't believe their eyes as they witnessed this scene. Never before had they seen such a manipulation of lightning elemental jutsu! The regeneration of an attack!

However, Sasuke knew that there was one serious drawback to such an attack: the control of both Chidori was thrown out the window as the charges were extremely violent by this point, hence he only had a short period of time before he had to drive these babies home, otherwise… well, boom.

Neji blinked as he saw Sasuke dash at him once again, this time with two energy blasts ready to attack. Knowing that he had to end this right here right now, he didn't hesitate anymore.

Stepping backwards, he stretched his arms out, one before him and one behind, before bending down slightly, feeling the chakra surge through his arms to his fingers as he got ready, "Hakke…"

"Chidori Shogeki! _(Shock of One thousand birds!)_" Thrusting both palms forward, he was ready to risk it. All or nothing.

However, it seemed that Neji had different plans. Just before Sasuke reached him, he lashed out with his fingers, "Nisho! _(Two palms)_" The two hits were directed at Sasuke's wrists, short taps of chakra that interrupted the transfer of energy to Sasuke's palms, thereby effectively cutting off the supply of chakra to his Chidori.

"Yonsho! _(Four palms)_" The next four jabs were aimed at his arms, sealing the vital tenketsu to prevent him from using any more ninjutsu.

"Hasho! _(Eight palms)_" Eight on the torso, temporarily stunning him for the other strikes to come.

"Juurokusho! _(Sixteen palms)_" Finally, he started to concentrate on tenketsu that were directly linked to the chakra core.

"Sanjuunisho! _(Thirty two palms)_" Slowly, he spread out from the core, widening the effect of his attack.

"Rokujuyonsho! _(Sixty four palms)_" The final strikes were ruthless as Sasuke was pummeled thoroughly, his chakra system partially shut down, his muscles in a world of hurt before he was blasted backwards by that ending attack.

Crashing onto the ground, Sasuke gasped for breath as he felt weaker than ever. He couldn't feel his limbs nor could he access his chakra. Realizing that struggling anymore would be futile, Sasuke sighed before deactivating his Sharingan. In the end, these eyes of his weren't able to help him too much. He could see the attacks, and yet he wasn't able to react in time. He probably should have dragged the fight out more before bringing out Chidori.

Closing his eyes, he was reminded once again just how far he was from his goals. He had refrained from using the cursed seal at all costs, knowing that he might lose control of himself, and that was the last thing he needed. He would not become a psychopath like his brother… no… he would kill him in an honorable way, face-off, one on one… not like an insane brute that only knew to rely on that seal for power.

Neji panted as he felt exhaustion hit him. He had really given it his all and that last attack by the Uchiha had been extremely risky. Had he missed even one tenketsu at the start, he would probably have two holes in his torso right now.

Walking over to the fallen Uchiha, Neji gave a respectful nod, "You're not too bad."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, you're not too bad yourself." Attempting to get up once more, and failing, he simply lay spread-eagled on the ground, "At least tell me just how you deflected my Chidori the first time."

Neji smirked, "Temporary withdrawal of my Kaiten, before amplifying it once again."

Sasuke's eyes widened, "You can do that? Damn…"

"With enough control, I could keep it up for longer, but unfortunately, I have yet to reach that level."

"Ah, stop rubbing it in. You beat me already."

"True. I'm impressed. For someone so arrogant, you really kept your cool back there."

"Heh, you're one to talk."

Both prodigies shared similar grins on their faces, enjoying the cheers from the crowd as Genma stepped onto the middle of the field, that senbon of his not covering the amused smile he had on, "Shosha, Hyuga Neji!"

* * *

_**There we go. First match over. Hope you've enjoyed it! I wrote it in one go, so the general feel of it, to me, was satisfactory. I did give both sides a couple of new attacks, and to be honest, even if it was Canon, I suspect that this would be the outcome of their fight. Neji, at this point, would definitely be stronger than Sasuke. **_

**_By the way, I own all the self-created jutsu and variations to the canon jutsu. Thank you very much. XP_**

_**Review and tell me what you thought. XD**_

_**If you liked it, good, because it's simply a taste of the action that's about to come. Heh heh. **_


	36. Exam Continues

_**A/N: Merry Christmas people! I know I'm one day late but it can't be helped. I had three teeth pulled out on the twenty fifth of December, and was hurting like crazy all day, so I admit I should have gotten this chap out much faster, but alas it can't be helped. Hope you guys all had a better Christmas than me. **_

_**Action, action, action. Gotta love them, heh. Anyway, I'm gonna see how much I can cover. If lucky, by the start of next chapter, you guys will be getting your much awaited Naruto vs Gaara fight. I think I'll manage. **_

_**And before I begin, let me say thanks to those that took the time to review. XD**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 36: Exam Continues

The crowd was in an absolute frenzy. The fight was amazing, fantastic, fabulous, whatever! To say the Konoha citizens watching were proud would be a severe understatement. They were ecstatic! These were future pillars of the village. These were the crème de la crème of the batch, and in a few years, they would all move on to become respectable ninja of the world. Their lives would be protected by these young men and women, and it made them feel immensely secure that they were entrusting their futures to them.

Sasuke was helped off the field using a stretcher while Neji slowly ambled off. He didn't sustain major injuries, just certain burns here and there, along with minor cuts, but it was the fatigue that got to him. Once the adrenaline rush was over, he felt strangely weak and quietly told himself that he would have to strengthen his training regime once again.

Hinata had charged off to the infirmary as soon as she could, wanting to congratulate Neji on his latest win, an act that raised the eyebrows of both Hitomi and Hiashi. This seemed a bit too familiar, where young Hinata would always visit little Neji after his training sessions. The cheerful atmosphere was a huge contrast to what they had before, what with Neji having all that hatred and what not.

Hanabi instead, asked if she could go chat with Naruto for a while, and to her pleasant surprise, Hitomi had volunteered to bring her over. Hiashi hesitated for awhile, wondering the possible influences this might have on Konoha's political status. Having one of the most prestigious clans of Konoha visiting a genin that was supposed to be in no way related to said clan might seem more than a little suspicious to the outside world, but once he was set up against Hanabi's tearful gaze, he had no choice but to relent.

Giggling like the little girl she was, said Hyuga was about to rush off to see her beloved ni-chan when Hitomi gave her a stern glare, causing her enthusiasm to be withdrawn somewhat. Hence, it was the sight of Hanabi obediently holding Hitomi's hand that greeted a very surprised Naruto as he was chatting with Shikamaru.

"Hanabi!"

"Naruto-ni-chan!!"

Throwing all lessons of etiquette away from her brain, she took two steps and latched herself onto Naruto's shoulder, plopping herself onto Naruto's hair like she always did, nuzzling his head lovingly as she sighed in bliss at being able to nest in her favorite resting space.

Deadpanning, Naruto shook his head and waved at Hitomi who gave him a small smile, before walking gracefully over to him.

In the time where Hitomi walked towards Naruto, said blond couldn't help but be reminded once again that this was the wife of the Hyuga leader, Hyuga Hitomi. The aura of power and elegance she revealed by simply _walking_ was amazing. The genin waiting in the area were unconsciously moving out of her way simply by looking at her and even Gaara had grunted and sidestepped after Hitomi gave him a short, polite bow.

Shikamaru blinked a few times before muttering, "No way… that's…"

"Who? Who's the beautiful woman?" Kiba asked, his eyes unable to tell him if what he was seeing was the truth. Since when did Naruto know such a hot, mature woman?! He thought Kireki-san had been the most graceful lady among Naruto's associates but this took the cake.

Chouji continued munching on his chips before tilting his head, "You know her Shikamaru?"

There were a few twitches at the corners of Shino's mouth but he remained silent.

Temari and Gaara didn't say anything, and chose instead to listen quietly to the conversation, wanting to gather as much information as they could.

Naruto, on the other hand, was happily playing with Hanabi, chatting about all the things that were random in this world. The time spent with little Hanabi was never boring, and right now, anything to help him relieve the tension in this atmosphere was a plus. Hitomi merely smiled and watched on as brother and sister played without a worry in the world. She was quite amazed that Naruto would still able to keep such a positive attitude even after finding out who he was going against. This kid either had nerves of steel or he simply hid it well.

Just then, Hinata had accompanied Neji back into the waiting area, where the older of the two Hyugas was seen to be actually _smiling_ and having an amiable conversation with Hinata, who seemed to be having an even better time, if her smile was any indication.

Naruto chuckled, "Ohhhh, Neji is smiling! Look Hanabi! It's a miracle!"

"Miracle!"

"Big bad Neji is being nice! The world is going to end!"

"World's gonna end!"

"We're all gonna perish before the might of softy Neji!"

"Perish!"

"Shut up!" By now, a slightly embarrassed Hyuga stood before the blond and his fellow mischievous sister, arms crossed, face contorted into a snarl almost, and had it not been for the presence of Hitomi, Naruto was pretty sure Neji would have blasted him to oblivion with his almighty Juken.

Hanabi gleefully laughed as she stuck out her tongue, "Yaaaada! You're just angry that we've gotten you right on the dot, oh big meanie!"

Naruto's eyes widened before he burst out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, "Hahaha! You hear that! Hyuga Neji's a big meanie!!! Hahahahaha!!!"

Apparently, the others who standing nearby weren't deaf and hence, it wasn't too much of a surprise that Kiba had suddenly began sniggering after Naruto's declaration. Till the point where Naruto seemed to cackle, Shikamaru gave an exasperated snort while Chouji simply chortled merrily. Hinata herself seemed to find it amusing as well and her soft giggle sealed the deal.

Hyuga Neji was _embarrassed_. Now, if it were possible, smoke might be coming out of his ears and nose just to show how much anger he was currently building up within himself, but alas, seeing how that feat was impossible, Neji settled for glaring his meanest expression available at the duo that were pretty much laughing their heads off.

"Wow, you guys certainly seem happy. Sure you're not going crazy Naru-kun?" A familiar voice reached his ears and before he could react, Naruto felt two arms lace themselves around his neck, before proceeding slowly down his torso, ending at his waist. Her breath felt ticklish as she whispered, "I hope I'm not aiding the process…"

Completely ignoring the perverted faces of certain friends of his, Naruto chose to turn his head to the source of affection and catch her lips in an affectionate kiss, "Unfortunately, you always drive me insane…"

"Hm… hn… ah… hmmm…" Ino didn't respond as she merely deepened the kiss, loving every second it.

As a side note, Kiba had to stuff his nose with tissue lest he suffered severe blood loss before his match.

"Ano… Naruto-ni-chan?"

The passionately kissing couple suddenly froze, before Naruto quickly stopped the kiss and gave a slight gasp, "Hanabi!"

Ino blinked before fighting the urge to face palm. How could she not have noticed that familiar figure on Naruto's back before she…

"Why were you kissing her like that?" A young Hanabi asked in curiosity.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief at the easy question, "Because I love her."

Hanabi raised her eyebrows, "Oh really? Wow… but you were playing with her tongue!"

Massive spurt of blood from Kiba's nose.

Plus a chuckle from Hitomi and what sounded like a soft whisper of 'my, my'.

For some reason, Temari seemed to be blushing hard while Gaara was staring at them with a confused expression.

"Yes… Hanabi, I would appreciate it if you would not tell the world just what her tongue does to me… ok that just sounded wrong…" Naruto rolled his eyes as he realized the mistake in wording his sentence that way.

Hanabi giggled, "Alright! I won't tell how you licked her – "

"That's enough thank you!"

Ino was blushing slightly, when Sakura entered the place, "Man, it's so crowded here, took me ages to get… oh my god, Ino, are you _blushing_?"

"Shut up forehead."

"Heh heh heh… Queen of Piggies is blushing!" Sakura grinned before looking over at Naruto, "Though I can always guess just why… oh, Hanabi-chan!"

"Sakura ne-san!" Cheerfully, Hanabi waved 'hi'.

Perhaps it was because of the fact that the whole atmosphere permeated 'happiness' that Gaara seemed extremely awkward. Never before was he shown so many different kinds of affection and care at once. And right now, before him were fun within the family, fondness of friends and love of two different individuals. It was peculiar and somehow soothing, for at that moment, Gaara could not detect any signs of insanity from the Shukaku, and that itself was extremely surprising, for the one-tailed demon was shouting and yelling day and night, never giving him a moment of peace.

"Will Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino please come down to the arena." Genma's voice echoed throughout the arena as he waited patiently for the next two genins to battle it out.

Kiba had to wipe furiously at his nose many times before waking up Akamaru who had long since fallen asleep on his head and moving towards the stairs. Shino had already gone down quietly, and was waiting along with Genma.

Naruto looked out of the balcony and yelled, "Go get him, Kiba! Shino, suck him dry!"

Noticing an eerie silence from behind him, the blond turned around only to find Sakura and Ino both with raised eyebrows looking at him with an expression that clearly said 'what the hell?'

"What?"

"Did you know how wrong that sounded?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto's eyebrow twitched, "What exactly are you on about hm? Why don't you tell me just _exactly_ where that sounded wrong?"

"Yeah, yeah! Hanabi wants to know too!"

Now _that_ was awkward. Ino bit her lips, "Er… it's nothing."

"No, it's not. You said it sounded wrong. Pray tell, just where I was wrong?" Naruto's face was schooled into one of indifference, "Ino…"

"Alright, alright, so I was thinking in a different direction, but hey! I wasn't the only one!"

Sakura chuckled nervously, "Yeah, yeah, forget about that."

In that split second, Naruto gave a foxy grin, before forming a Kage bunshin that appeared behind the two girls who yelped as the clone pulled them both into an embrace and whispered something to their ears.

The way they blushed so hard was a testament to Naruto's victory.

Though the moment was in a way ruined when Sakura had hissed, "No, I do _not_ want to suck _you_ dry, okay?!"

A few seconds later, Ino retorted, "No, I'm _not_ a yaoi fan!"

Following that, Sakura looked startled, "S-say that again?"

"You would?!" was Ino's surprised reply.

"O-oh… I… I would like that…" their blushes simply grew even more spectacular.

"My, Naruto, you're such a …"

At that precise moment, a very bewildered Naruto received the information of just exactly what his clone had said during the flirting session with the two girls. Quickly covering his nose with his palm, he prevented the spray of blood that might have been emitted due to certain thoughts running through his mind.

It was then when Hitomi clapped her hand on his shoulder, shaking him out of his reverie, "Alright, let's keep those things to the privacy of our bedrooms if you do not mind? By the way, Naruto, I didn't know you were asking Hanabi for a facial massage. It must feel so good for you to be speechless."

"Eh? EH! OUCH! What the?! Ha-hanabi? OW! OI! Get off… ARGH! OI!!!"

During the time in which he was imagining all sorts of possible future H scenes in his mind, Hanabi decided to snap her brother out of it by playing with his facial muscles, and to say it was painful would be an understatement.

Sakura and Ino eventually got the little girl to stop her antics and took her closer to the balcony to enjoy the fight between Kiba and Shino, which had already gotten under way while they were having this short interlude of fun.

The mischievous gaze Ino sent him combined with the skeptical look from Sakura, along with the simultaneous whisper, "Hentai" made Naruto blush slightly. Hey! He was a male! He couldn't help it!

Seeing how he was temporarily ignored by both females, he shrugged and walked over to Hitomi and Shikamaru, who were, strangely enough, having a simple conversation. It would seem that the Nara and the Hyuga have met on a couple of occasions.

"Man, Naruto, they've already begun while you were in your own little world."

"Right, right, geez, cut me some slack will ya?"

"Gatsuga!"

A loud crash followed as Kiba's attack destroyed more than a few Kikaichu of Shino's and the momentum caused him to ram into the wall.

Apparently, the Inuzuka had already activated his Juujin bunshin _(Beast-man clone)_ while Shino had taken on drastic defensive measures. The problem with fighting Kiba for an Aburame was that the kikaichu needed to be able to suck the chakra from the body, but with an Inuzuka, that became close to impossible as the moves of that particular clan were as feral as that of a real beast. Moves like Tsuga and Gatsuga all involve rotating the body at a high speed, and simply put, the chakra output would ruin any chances of the kikaichu sticking onto the user's body.

The use of soldier pills as well, proved to be a problem for Shino in the fact that Kiba's movements simply got more violent and in a sense, much harder for Shino to attack in any way. Sending Kikaichu his way would be a loss right now because the Inuzuka would simply shred them to bits.

The conclusion Shino arrived was to attack Akamaru first. To break up Kiba's defense, he would have to ruin their teamwork. And the good thing was… for an Aburame to detect a person's chakra signature was supposedly the easiest thing in the world. It wasn't the Aburame that did the job, but rather the feedback that the Kikaichu brought. One simple touch, and the bug would instantly pass the message to the user.

Kikaichu, a chakra absorbing insect, lethal and deadly, are divided into two groups, ones with poison and ones without. The ones Shino were using right now were the ones without poison because his own body had not developed to the stage where he would get used to the substances the kikaichu secrete within his body. The thing about Kikaichu was that they didn't really have a brain. No, in effect, they all shared one single brain, or rather, a huge network of impulse activity where information received by one would instantly be transmitted to another. The simplest way to express this would be that the kikaichu and the user share one thinking core after they were successfully inhibited within the Aburame. Hence, even if the kikaichu was destroyed, the user still would receive a certain amount of data of his opponent. This was why the Aburame were one of the most feared insect using clans in all five lands.

This was something Kiba would never have expected. Normally, during Juujin Bunshin, there always was the underlying factor as to which of the two 'Kibas' was the real one, and because of this, the enemy wouldn't dream of going all out on simply one of them.

Imagine his shock when not only did Shino sent at least eighty percent of his hive over to attack Akamaru. At first he thought Shino had fell into his trap and was just about to use Tsuga to end the battle, when Akamaru let out a sharp cry, before bursting in a cloud of smoke, revealing his battered form.

"Akamaru!" Kiba yelled in fury as he watched his partner whine in agony. The lack of chakra for an animal such as Akamaru was much more severe compared to that of humans, simply because of that fact that they have a rougher chakra system, meaning one not as efficient as that of humans. Added on top of that was Akamaru's size, which was considerably smaller than that of a human, hence the quick speed at which it was taken down.

Shino inwardly breathed a sigh of relief at Kiba's lack of experience. It was good that he had learned a lot from the elders of the clan, in which their battle strategies and other aspects of knowledge had helped him increase the ability to devise a plan on the spot. Had Kiba been a little more firm in his want to attack, Shino would have lost the battle. It was but a five second difference, yet it could mean all the difference in the world.

Growling, Kiba let all restrictions go. Now that Akamaru was down, he had nothing left to lose. Crouching low, Kiba summoned up his chakra, "Shikyaku no jutsu! _(Four Legs technique)_"

Without any hesitation now, as though he were acting on pure instinct, Kiba dashed towards the kikaichu that were surrounding Akamaru. Shino frowned as he watched this, wondering just what the Inuzuka was thinking. Kikaichu have the highest efficiency when attack in swarms, so why was he charging directly into the group? Was anger really affecting him that much?

On the balcony however, Naruto gave a low whistle. Shino probably didn't fully comprehend the extent to which Inuzuka rely on their instincts in battle. Anger, in some cases, work extremely well for Inuzuka, for most of their attacks rely on determination, and it's a well known fact that with anger, comes the need to beat the crap out of your opponent, and with that, hey presto, you get determination.

"Okamimaki! _(Wolf Coil)_" Feeling his claws lengthen, Kiba instead of using his usual airborne spin, chose instead spin whilst gaining momentum on the ground, having all four limbs to maintain balance as he sped up. The effect was instantaneous. Kikaichu had nothing against the sheer force of the attack, the ground itself had several claw marks all over.

However, Kiba didn't stop there, suddenly flinging himself off one huge spin, he appeared right in front of a shocked Shino, who could only use the remaining Kikaichu to act as a final shield between him and the ferocious Inuzuka.

"Tessou! _(Steel Claws)_" Layering chakra over his hands and nails, he swiped once to dispel the bugs, before his left claw was placed directly in front of Shino's face, poised to strike with the least amount of movement.

"Give up. _Now_." The adrenaline rush still had no receded and Kiba felt his senses almost amplified due to the absolute satisfaction that he had gotten the enemy for Akamaru.

The crowd was hushed because most of the spectators didn't even adjust their brains to take in the fact that, yes, indeed, the battle was over. A few minutes ago, the Inuzuka kid just had his partner defeated, and just like that, he had… exploded in terms of power and just… won the match.

Genma himself gave a subtle nod as his lips showed a small smile. _This_ was exactly why Inuzukas were feared all around the five countries. Tsume would be proud.

Shino could only stare at the claw placed before his very eyes and curse his lack of attention. Had he been a little more careful, he would have detected the underlying strength behind Kiba. Guess he did underestimate him.

In a quiet tone, Shino raised his hand, "Examiner. I forfeit."

At that, Kiba's arm twitched, before relaxing and expelling the chakra that was built up in his limbs.

Genma nodded, before ending the match, "Aburame Shino has given up. Shousha, Inuzuka Kiba!"

The crowd finally got over their initial shock and started cheering madly. This had to be the quickest turn about they had witnessed! To think that one could change a disadvantage to an advantage just like that. The foreign nin were definitely reassessing the abilities of Konoha nin. Most had already heard of the almighty Uchiha, but it had been proved that clan status wasn't everything, seeing how Neji was a branch member. Then we had the fights between what other countries would have called a mutt against a bug. Most had thought the bug would win, yet it would seem the mutt had more beast-like instincts.

No one dared to say what the next battle would hold anymore. Most had deemed the two sand-nins instant victors given the stats that Sand-nin survive under the toughest conditions of the five countries, and since this genin team held children of the Kazekage, they were definitely favorites to the Chunin exams. However, the Naras were never one to be estimated. Their tactics and shadow manipulating abilities were unique, though from what they had gathered, the lazy qualities seemed to run in the family.

The next match would definitely be something to look out for.

Definitely…

Yeah…

"Oi Shikamaru! You're up in ten minutes! Get some energy man!" Naruto exclaimed while giving Kiba a high five, congratulating him on his fabulous win.

Of course, Naruto had used the special body language to give Shino encouragement, of which, the Aburame replied using that subtle body language as well.

The Nara merely yawned before leaning on the wall, "Whatever. I just can't be bothered… Ah, what a drag…"

"Mo! Shika! You better not lose to that sand woman or I'll beat you into the ground!" Ino grumbled. Sakura too was complimenting Kiba on his use of chakra, before going with him to the medic's bay to check on Akamaru.

"Sigh… why are my enemies always female…?"

Rolling her eyes, Ino retorted, "Why do you always lose to females then?!"

"Just because you're an overpowered freakish woman…"

"What was that?!"

"Ma, ma, Ino-chan, calm down." Naruto deftly pulled the woman backwards, preventing her from killing the contestant before he even began the match, "But she's right Shikamaru, if you even try just one tiny bit, there's no way you can lose."

Shikamaru snorted, "Yeah, right. All I've got is shadow manipulation. She's got a huge fan. Need I say more?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, "Well, I guess you have a point. Long range fighters aren't exactly your favorite opponents."

"Pft, he's just making excuses. There's no such thing as favorite opponents for this guy."

"Heh, you got that right."

"SHIKA!!!"

"Alright, alright, woman! Jeez! Shush, I'm trying to relax."

The murderous expression on Ino's face said it all, and it took Naruto quite some strength to prevent Ino from maiming one of her childhood friends.

"Chouji! Tell him to get his ass in gear!"

"Munch, munch, hm?"

"Stop eating and help your friend out!"

"Munch, munch, munch, munch…"

"CHOUJI!!!!"

"Munch, munch, Ino, munch, you're too loud, munch…"

"……"

"Now, now, Ino, violence is not the way to go…"

"Let me go! I'll kill them!"

Temari on the other hand, seemed oddly quiet. If anything, her confidence had simply been boosted over this period. Just watching that Nara guy laze around was enough to get anyone ready to win. At first, she considered the possibility that he was merely pretending, but soon, that thought was thrown away because there simply wasn't anybody that could _pretend_ to be lazy for that long.

From what she had gathered about Nara Shikamaru, the guy liked to spend his free time watching clouds or sleeping. He liked to play Shogi and Go apparently, so perhaps he did have that bit of talent. Even so, he was clearly a short ranged fighter. This match was in the bag, without doubt.

Just as Sakura and Kiba returned, Genma's voice reached them, "Will Nara Shikamaru and Sabaku no Temari please come down to the arena."

Deciding to show a bit of flair, Temari spread open her fan, blasted a small kamaitachi to create an air current before gently floating down to the field, landing with a grace that few genin kunoichi could match. Flower of the desert indeed.

Shikamaru on the other hand was slouching, with pretty much no energy, or rather, no fighting spirit at all. His eyes were unfocused, as though daydreaming about all the wonderful things he could be doing right now.

"Oi Shikamaru! Get going!" Ino had simply raised her leg and given Shikamaru one simple kick in the butt.

The result was hilarious. Because of that kick, the Nara lost balance. By losing balance, he tipped himself over the metal fence and before long, he found himself face down on the ground with his butt in the air.

Watching this, Kurenai couldn't help but facepalm. The extent to which her student could be so without drive never failed to amaze her. In a way, she was impressed. Either Shikamaru simply didn't care, or he had that much confidence. But obviously, common sense would say that the former was more accurate. With Shikamaru, there was no thing such as confidence before a match.

Kurenai ignored the teasing looks from the other jonins and held her head high. They didn't understand how Shikamaru worked, and frankly, she wouldn't dare say she knew either. However, from all the missions they have carried out, she did have him figured out a little bit. Frankly, for someone like Shikamaru, the more laid back he was _before_ a major battle, the _better_ he would perform. That had been an undeniable fact so far.

Shikamaru had one good quality that was related to his laziness. He never underestimated an enemy, simply because he couldn't be bothered to do that. When Kurenai once questioned him, he replied with "Why bother making yourself feel good when you can just go in and prove it?"

To her, that was a classic brawler-ish comment, suited more for someone like Kiba or Naruto, but after thinking about it, she realized it must be the Shogi. Shikamaru, being a veteran at that game, knew exactly when to hang on and when to let go. Though it was common knowledge that Shikamaru had an IQ of over two hundred (at least among his friends and family), no one really comprehended the extent to which he could plan ahead.

Kurenai smiled slightly as she watched Shikamaru glare at Naruto while the later was apologizing profusely for Ino. This was definitely a match to see, and as of now, she couldn't wait to see the plan Shikamaru would come up with in the match against a long range fighter. For some reason, impromptu thinking simply didn't begin to match the genius of Shikamaru.

"Mendokuse…" The genin with pineapple-shaped hair yawned before slowly walking to the centre of the field in a slouch, ignoring the curses and yells from one Yamanaka Ino. Women were bloody troublesome…

Temari simply gazed at him condescendingly before opening her fan once again, ready to fight any time. Genma raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru's form and shook his head wryly, before announcing, "Let the match begin!"

The blonde didn't waste any time at all, "Kamaitachi no jutsu!"

The tunnel of wind formed blades before assaulting Shikamaru face on. The lazy genin barely rolled out of the way, steadying himself quickly, then rushed to the left to avoid a smash from the metal fan.

"Geez, what's the hurry?"

"Get back here you coward!"

"Pft, nice taunt."

"Shut up!"

It seemed like an one-sided match, with Shikamaru simply dodging whatever was sent his way, and Temari sending wind blasts constantly while occasionally going physical with that fan of hers.

"Ah… look at the poor trees…"

"DIE!!!"

"Whoa… that was close."

"Grrrr…"

"Do I see wrinkles?"

"WHY YOU?!!!"

If Shikamaru was aiming to taunt, then he certainly was doing a good job. Though many failed to see the point of him simply dodging and never going on the offensive. Temari clenched her fist, thinking, _'So you want me to use up all my energy? Hah, don't make me laugh.'_

She was kinda right on that one, and detecting the still bored expression on Shikamaru's face, she decided to just continue attacking. This fan and style of attack had accompanied her for years and it would take much longer before she even felt the hints of fatigue. This was the extent to which Suna kunoichi trained themselves.

"Hate to say it, but you fight like a man just a bit too much for my liking…"

"Ha! Scared?"

"Nah, just thinking if you were a bi."

"… A WHAT?!"

"Bi. You know, bisexual. I mean you being so manly and all does lead others to think of …"

"YOU BASTARD!!!"

Throwing all caution out into the wind, Temari heaved her fan into the air, "Daikamaitachi!!!"

Shikamaru felt the full force of the attack and cursed himself for pushing the woman a little too far, before running over to the trees and hiding behind them to get some cover.

The wind swept over the entire arena, blasting in the faces of the crowd, making them lean backwards to avoid the dangerous currents. Tenten gritted her teeth while she remembered how she was defeated in the preliminaries. The force of the attack only seemed to increase compared to one month ago, and this left the weapons mistress slightly disheartened. All she had were weapons… so how was she to make use of that fact and improve on it? At this rate, she would never be able to fight against opponents with projectile attacks.

"Get your ass out here at once!!"

Temari didn't seem to let up and sent one more wave of wind blades at the trees, intent on getting Shikamaru out of his hiding place.

Suddenly, as though answering her attack, a string of shadow emerged from the trees, poised to latch onto hers any moment.

Remembering the battle he had with that sound genin in the preliminaries, she quickly leapt backwards to avoid it. Landing after she flipped backwards for the third time, she realized that the shadow had reached its limit. Unable to resist a smirk, she drew a line on the ground with her foot, eyeing Shikamaru like a predator before announcing, "This is it. You can't go any further. Heh, you're screwed."

The Nara simply shrugged as he rotated his neck, "You never know." His lazy expression changed into a serious one, as he sat with his legs crossed, fingers from both hands met each other tip to tip, assuming his standard 'thinking' pose.

Temari stepped back once, wondering what jutsu he was going to use. She had never seen that seal before.

Kurenai grinned, "That isn't a seal. That's just the way he works."

Asuma, who was sitting beside her raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Whenever he's facing a crisis in Shogi, that's the standard procedure he goes through. Do watch, Asuma, because you'll see a whole new level of strategy."

"Ha, alright, I'll await this show then."

The crowd remained silent, the tension in the atmosphere rising quickly. No one knew what was going to happen. Even Ino was surprised by how seriously Shikamaru took this.

Temari tensed for a moment, before charging forward, "You actually think I'm going to let you just think a plan?"

The corners of his mouth twitched before a smirk formed on his face, "Yes."

"Why you… what the?!"

"Kage Kunai no jutsu."

Before Temari could move any further, kunais emerged from all over the place, launching themselves at the blonde, forcing her to go on the defensive.

"Where did they come from?!" Temari's eyes swept across the field, only to remember how Shikamaru's feet always seemed to tap once after he landed while dodging her strikes earlier, "No way…"

The Kunai were easily blown apart by her kamaitachi no jutsu but that was not what worried her. The ability to sink objects into mere _shadows_ was completely unheard of.

"Gotcha."

"Huh?" Temari's eyes widened as Shikamaru stood up from his position, and formed the seals once again, "Kage mane no jutsu! _(Shadow imitation technique)_" The string of shadow appeared once again and shot towards Temari, who merely retreated back to where she drew the line, "Ha! You won't be able to pass this line…"

Her words died in her mouth as she realized the shadow was never meant for her, but instead, the shadow attached itself to the shadow of the kunai, interlinking them all, slowly surrounding her.

"Kage Rou… _(Shadow Prison)_"

Her mind working fast, Temari crouched before placing her fan on the ground, spinning it as she balanced herself on the fan, "Futon: Refuupa! _(Violent Wind Blast)_" The wind-natured chakra shockwave spread outwards, hitting all the kunai on the ground, causing them to fly apart, temporarily disconnecting the shadows.

Making use of that time, she quickly picked up her fan and summoned up all her remaining chakra, intending on making this last attack hit, "Daikamaitachi no jutsu!"

Shikamaru winced as he took the attack full on, using merely his hands to shield himself from the attack. Temari grinned victoriously as the attack subsided, revealing a tired and cut-up Nara with what seemed like blood pouring out of all his wounds.

"Shika!" Ino yelled, unable to believe the sight before her eyes.

"Oh hell no…" Naruto slammed his fist onto the wall, grimacing at the sight of the bleeding Shikamaru.

Kurenai gasped as she saw her student. There was simply no way he could still be alive! The blood just kept pouring… and pouring… and pouring… wait…

Temari took in deep breaths as she panted, exhaustion clearly getting to her, "Damn, can't believe I actually got you with that. I admit, your prison thing was very effective, and if I hadn't got them out of the way, I would have lost." She slowly stood up straight, before giving a slight bow, "I apologize for underestimating you, it was a good match."

The crowd was silent as they witnessed the death of a Konoha nin before their very eyes. Chouji and the others all expressed their anger in the form of shouts and yells. It was just unbelievable! This was Shikamaru they were talking about! The genius! The tactical god!

Just when Temari was about to tell Genma to announce the match, a voice echoed through the arena, "Why thank you."

The 'Shikamaru' that was currently bleeding like crazy burst into a blob of black before retreating into the ground. Temari blinked before cursing. Instantly readying her battle fan, she tensed as the voice permeated to her ears once again, "Let's just get this over with. Kage Rou…"

The kunai that were previously scattered instantly revealed the shadows interlinked amongst them once again, shocking Temari, "But, but I blew them off!"

"Kage Nui _(Shadow sewing)_"

Streams of shadow latched themselves onto Temari, pinning her on the spot and acted as a real bind where the shadows connected to the kunai impaled themselves on the ground as a pivot. Feeling the ability to move her muscles fade away, Temari couldn't help but drop her head.

It was over.

Shikamaru then emerged from the trees that he had first hid in, before grinning, "Would you prefer a kunai or shuriken to the head hm?"

Temari gasped as realization dawned on her, "So you've been back there all this time?!"

"Yeah."

"So what was that, that blob…"

"No name so far. It's just a shadow liquefied. A decoy, if you will."

"But how did you… ah…"

"I control shadows. What you just witnessed was Kage Kugetsu _(Shadow puppet)_. I'm sure you'll figure out the rest."

Temari sighed, shaking her head before holding her head high, "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "Finish you off?"

"Yes."

"Ha… you've got spunk."

"… Just shut up."

Shikamaru laughed before removing his accessory pouch and emptying the contents… to show nothing. "Unfortunately, I've got nothing left to kill you with. Your wind attack disintegrated one of my kunai and I had to use the last one to replace it."

Temari's eyes widened, remembering that shattering sound she heard back then.

"And on top of that, I'm running out of chakra…" Sure enough, the holds on her muscles weakened, and slowly bit by bit, she could squirm around a little.

"And considering how I'm going to fighting all the powerhouses next round…" Shikamaru glanced in the direction of the balcony, before sighing, "Nah, too much trouble. Oi examiner!"

Genma looked in his direction, "Hm?"

"I forfeit."

Silence.

More silence.

CHAOS.

"What the fuck is wrong with that dude?!"

"He has her right where he wants her! What the hell?!"

"I'm not hearing right, what did he say?!"

Ino was having a field day with her rage right now, "That bastard! That lazy no good son of a – "

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Language Ino."

"You shut the fuck up!"

"Ouch…"

Kurenai herself was sighing, "Why did I see this happening…"

Asuma chuckled, "Very interesting student you've got there Kurenai."

"Sometimes, I wish he was more normal… sigh…"

Temari herself was furious, "What is this? Pity?!"

"Pft, nah. Simple truth. I thought I had taunted you enough, but apparently, feminine rage is too scary." Shikamaru shrugged as all the shadows retreated back to the ground or himself, releasing the hold on Temari, letting the girl regain her mobility.

Staring at the teenager in front of her, Temari didn't know what to say. To think she won in this way…

Shikamaru yawned, "Ah what the heck. I gave it my all. You topped that." Stretching, he shrugged, "It's not that big a deal. Get over it."

Rooted to the spot, Temari tried to understand the emotions that were going through her at the moment. She had thought her intelligence was enough, and was proven wrong. In the end, her strength was bested by the very guy she thought she could win. The laziness, the lack of drive… she couldn't remember a time where she had witnessed a guy so completely… _changed _during a fight.

The amount of concentration and forethought he must have maintained throughout the match floored her. She was never so impressed with a man as she was right now.

Not understanding what caused her to act this way, even when she looked back at this moment years later, she rushed over to him, pulled him around and kissed him right on the lips.

Poor Shikamaru could only freeze up as he felt two soft surfaces touch his lips. The kiss lasted for five seconds before Temari broke it and whispered, "You better not be dead for our rematch…"

With that, said Suna genin made her way back to the balcony, completely ignoring a flabbergasted Shikamaru that stood rooted to his spot, with his mouth slightly open, his pupils unfocused.

Genma chuckled slightly, before muttering, "Man's got it good." Then shaking away the random thoughts, he announced, "Shousha, Temari!"

* * *

_**There, got that done. I specifically enjoyed writing the end to this chap even with my gums and all that in pain lol. It was fun. I didn't make too much use of Kage Mane because well… it'd just be very drawn out like in the anime. Hope you liked how I edited these two fights. Any new jutsu belongs to ME. Booya. **_

_**Review please, and tell me what you think. Next chapter would be the long-awaited Naruto vs Gaara. Do stay tuned. XD**_

_**As a final note, once more, I wish you all a merry Christmas! **_


	37. Naruto VS Gaara

_**A/N: You guys saw the manga?! Who dare say Naruto's still weaker than Sasuke? HUH?! WHO?! Sage mode man, fuck Sharingan and all his flashy useless jutsu. Toads are the way to go. **_

_**Other than that, I've got nothing much to say. Naruto vs Gaara. Enough said. Let's hear the applause, lulz. The manga is finally showing why it's called "Naruto" and not Sasuke. =.=**_

_**NEW NOTE!!!!**_

_**Okay, this is the latest note. I've just lost one hundred sixty gigabytes worth of stuff from my removable hard drive. And after that, the computer that I was using experienced no less than eight 'blue screens of death'. You should all know that annoying 'STOP' screen, where the com just stops working. This last few days, I've been trying all that I could to recover the stuff, but to no avail. So slight correction, I'm not feeling too well at all. Combine that with a constant cough, and one could easily get irritated. So if the chapter suddenly starts getting edgy halfway through the chapter, do bear with me. Thank you. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 37: Naruto VS Gaara

The killing intent had slowly been increasing ever since Temari had arrived back in the balcony, closely followed by a still confused Shikamaru. Naruto had easily shrugged it off, but people like Kiba were beginning to feel very uncomfortable. Hitomi had left with Hanabi, because the little kid seemed to be getting a bit too hyperactive for her own good. Besides, it wasn't healthy for Hanabi to be so close to a psycho.

Sakura and Ino left as well, but not before giving Naruto good luck kisses on either cheek. Under the pressure, Chouji stopped munching and stared at both Naruto and Gaara, his face alternating between the two. Gaara had his eyes fixed on the blond, and Naruto himself didn't seem to pay any attention to the redhead, choosing instead to close his eyes and focus.

This was his fight. It would be the first of the important fights that were to come, seeing how whether or not he managed to subdue Gaara would lead to the success rate of Konoha being invaded. As of now, Naruto had about sixty percent confidence that he would defeat the redhead. However, that was not enough. To get that extra forty, Naruto would have to discover some form of weakness, and that could only be carried out in battle.

Hence the need for him to concentrate.

The crowd was getting restless, eager for more servings of action. The last one had them all on the edges of their seats, and they could only wonder what this one would provide. Sabaku no Gaara, son of the kazekage, rumored to carry out B-rank missions without breaking a sweat. Uzumaki Naruto, orphan of Konoha, leader of his genin squad, specializing in assassination, with a mission record that left even some jonin jealous.

Elite of the elite so as to speak, and this match could most probably be the main dish of all. Many had already set bets as to which of these young men would emerge victorious, and some had the guts to place orders to kill the contestant before they even reach the arena.

Hence, it was with no mercy when Naruto took down two pathetic Kumo chuunin that dare stand in his way. It was utterly peculiar for them to even think that he was just going to let them kill him. Did they not understand that he was a qualified shinobi as well? Perhaps not.

Gaara on the other hand didn't meet anyone, though Naruto swore he heard muffled cries on the other side of the wall. The fact that sand was leaking out of his gourd only served to confirm his doubts.

Mentally shrugging, Naruto poised himself for the battle to come. It was time. Nothing more to worry about, simply achieve the objective and proceed with the next part of his mission. That's all there was to this exam, a mission.

The cheers that greeted his entrance were quite surprising, for he would have thought this village hated his guts. Perhaps even the demon kid was favored compared to shinobi from other villages. Who knew?

Gaara's face was calm and collected, devoid of any expression. There wasn't even that crazed look from before, but merely a smug confidence, as though Naruto had already lost and was simply here for his 'Mother' to take his blood. His arms were crossed, his gourd left open and sand pooling around him, his chakra dormant all the while.

Naruto, on the other hand, was slightly more active. Stretching and warming up, the blond did everything he could to ensure maximum flexibility and mobility during this upcoming match. That included fluctuating one's chakra level to adjust the level of output efficiency, and needless to say, that brought a slight frown onto the face of the Suna genin.

Rolling his eyes, the blond continued his administrations, ignoring the growing signs of agitation on Gaara. He would be in for a big surprise if he thought this match was going to be easy. Literal Hell would soon arise.

"Go get him Naruto!" Ino's voice clearly cut through the crowd's catcalls, reaching his ears and bringing a smile to his face.

"You can do it! I believe in you!" Sakura's came a second later, reinforcing the trust they had in him.

"O-ni-chan! Fight hard!" Hanabi's childish voice egged him on.

"Ni-san! Good luck!" Hinata too added her own piece.

Raising his head and opening his eyes, Naruto swept his gaze across the crowd, focusing on his precious people one by one, before finally returning to the field and landing it onto Gaara.

Genma took a look at both contestants and nodded, "Are we ready?"

The Suna-nin gave a nonchalant nod while Naruto took a deep breath, before confirming the declaration.

"Very well then. Fourth match, Uzumaki Naruto vs Sabaku no Gaara, begin!"

Instant silence descended upon the crowd as they waited in anticipation for what could be the most exciting match of the first round. However, it wasn't long before the full force of killing intent struck them.

There was no warning at all. One moment, the crowd saw the two figures merely standing there, the redhead with his arms crossed and the blond with hands placed leisurely by his side, both doing nothing. The next, they still didn't seem to be doing anything, but for some reason, a _wave_ of pressure just assaulted the crowd, forcing the air out of their lungs, almost preventing them from breathing even. The fear and unease in their hearts grew, and some of the chuunin who had weaker minds even felt the urge to kill themselves just to end this misery…

Then all of a sudden, it was alright again. The pressure was gone just like that, and similarly, it felt like killing intent. Yet this one made them feel strangely at peace, as though wanting to sink into this particular deadly emotion. To those who knew the two contestants or have seen them fight to some certain extent, they would understand just what they were currently experiencing.

Killing intent was a very delicate thing. As the name itself showed, it could be a stimulant and a depressant at the same time, if you will. Stimulant not as in adrenaline rushes, but stimulating your negative emotions to the extreme, depressant in the sense that it slows down your line of thought to the simple conclusion that living had become pointless.

Yet few people understand that killing intent could be used to save people as well. When two bursts of killing intent collide, it was common knowledge that the more concentrated pulse won. However, with it would come the side effect of completely removing the stress off the winning side. Once the clash of killing intent was over, the winning side would experience a sudden increase in positive emotions, meaning relaxation and ease, thereby allowing them to feel strangely calm and collected, perhaps even more than they normally could. Naruto was making use of this heightened sensation that he would possibly get by giving off the killing intent.

Gaara didn't lack in that department, however, his usage of it definitely could not rival that of Naruto's. All the Suna genin was doing, was forcing it out. Naruto was carefully lacing it with chakra, making it spread more, use a greater surface area to first control Gaara's killing intent, enveloping it to decrease its effect, before sending out an extremely concentrated pulse of it, to diffuse Gaara's and gain that sudden 'hero' status, where one would think that he could do anything.

That was the courage boost that Naruto needed to start off the match. Dashing forward, Naruto formed the relative seals before muttering, "Katon: Karyudan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Missile!)_"

The flames soared straight for Gaara, who simple grunted and waited for his sand to take effect. Sure enough, the defensive measure activated, shielding the redhead from the intense heat. However, that was exactly what Naruto was waiting for.

Not slowing down in his dash at all, he pulled his right arm backwards, gathering in his palm that familiar pulse of chakra, the very same one that helped him defeat a Lee that opened three gates…

"Sen'un Tenshou! _(Heavenly Piercing Palm)_" Ramming his palm directly into that sand shield, he pushed forth the first pulse of chakra, destabilizing the current chakra within the sand, before he summoned up the second pulse, crumbling said shield, and with the third pulse, it acted more as a shockwave than anything, pushing Gaara backwards, causing said Suna genin to completely lose his balance.

"Not so cool now… are you?!" Before the crowd's very eyes, Naruto had reared his head backwards, before slamming it home. Forehead on forehead, the force behind his attack along with the already lost balance of Gaara caused the redhead to be sent crashing through the air into the wall of the arena.

When the dust cleared, Gaara could be seen embedded into the rubble, whilst Naruto stood with his arms at his hips, raised eyebrow and all, a daredevil portrayal for all to see. Needless to say, the cheers were off the charts.

To think that the blond would use such a method to start things off, it certainly bode well for the rest of the fight. Only Naruto realized the full extent as to just how much crap he was going to be dealt with for the next few minutes. Someone like Gaara was not going to take this lying down…

But then again…

Naruto's smirk widened even more as Gaara suddenly raised his arm, directing the sand towards him, blasting torrents of it, his eyes murderous and silent. There was no need for him to make any furious roars or anything yet. For the redhead, it was now a fact that this blond before him had to be killed in the most painful of ways available. So first, he was going to capture him with the sand, then crush his bones bit by bit, until the blond begged for mercy.

What Gaara didn't realize was that Naruto was waiting for this. The faster the Suna genin got into the berserk mode, the faster Naruto could pull out his big guns as well. It wouldn't do for him to start using assassination jutsu just like that in front of all the judges, that would simply make him seem like an insane killer. But given the strength of the opponent, there was no way to win other than using those destructive jutsu, hence the need to taunt.

Once the sand approached Naruto, said blond disappeared in a puff of smoke, before a voice echoed in the arena, "This should be familiar. Fuuton: Daitoppa! _(Wind Element: Great Breakthrough)_"

The gust of wind drilled its way easily through the sand, blasting it apart as Naruto rammed his fist forward, "Kaen Furea! _(Blaze Flare)_"

Gaara's eyes widened as a blazing arm rammed itself into the spot where his head was a few seconds ago. The chakra scorched his face slightly, easily scraping the sand armor he had on at all times, threatening to even draw blood from him.

Completely ignoring the multiple sand blasts, Naruto formed that familiar orb of wind chakra in his left hand, "Fuuton: Rasengan! _(Wind Element: Spiraling Sphere)_" Shredding the sand missiles to bits, Naruto released the control on the orb, choosing instead to form seals once again, "Fuuton: Fuuryudan! _(Wind Element: Wind Dragon Missile)_"

True to his words, a roaring beast came to life, charging straight for the half-crazed redhead. Knowing no other way to resolve this other than completely, utterly destroy his opponent, Gaara let out a huge wave sand, "Sabaku KYU! _(Desert Bind)_"

However, before the sand could clash with the wind dragon, Naruto had already prepared the next round of attack, "Once more, Katon: Karyudan!"

Spurred by the fire, both dragons combined to form one huge inferno.

"Nigyo Kentai! Ryuko! _(Two Element combination – Dragon cry!)_"

Being an area-effect jutsu, one would expect the firepower to decrease compared to the more concentrated ones, however, this was where the true potential of Naruto's ninjutsu was revealed.

Gaara growled as he felt the flames surround him once again, this time even threatening to engulf him had he not had the sand armor around him. Even so, the dragon acted as a bind, restricting his movements as he struggled within the blaze.

Watching his plan succeed, Naruto was about to continue with his plan when all of sudden, sand rose from the ground just beneath him, grabbing onto his legs, lifting him into the air, temporarily rendering him helpless.

"What the?!" He didn't even feel any chakra-filled substance approach him during this period, and though his chakra sense wasn't as good as Ino, it was still above average. For someone like Gaara with that much chakra, Naruto had deduced that the sand must have quite a lot of chakra infused within them to have that much effect.

Eyes widening, Naruto quickly braced himself with his arms crossed before his face as a huge fist made of sand came crashing out of the inferno, ramming itself into the torso of the blond as the whip of sand too flung him across the field.

"Oof!" Crashing into the wall opposite of the Suna genin, Naruto spit out the saliva in his mouth, wiping off the small trail of blood at the corner of his lips, standing upright once again, glaring at Gaara, who had taken the short gap in attention span to extinguish the fire using his sand.

Both genin could be seen staring each other down as they re-assessed each other's abilities. The need to kill Naruto grew ever stronger for Gaara, and likewise, the urge to smash the redhead's face in only increased with each second. The blond needed the redhead weakened before he could attempt to disrupt the seal and prevent one of the main weapons of Suna, yet now that he had tested the extent to which Gaara could control sand, he would have to be a lot more careful.

Relying simply on detecting the chakra of sand definitely wasn't enough. It would seem that Gaara had sent his own sand into the ground, grinding the minerals underneath forming more sand of above average strength, before ambushing him using those when required. Those had little chakra laced around them, hence would seem and feel like that of grass upon chakra detection.

The crowd all let loose a breath they were holding in during this little break. The tension in the air slowly got to them once again, and for the civilians, it even left some of them shivering in their seats. Eyes never left the duo on either side of the arena, focusing on their every move.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto decided to get things really started, "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

No less than ten copies of the original blond appeared, surrounding the redhead as they all gathered orbs of chakra in their palms. This time however, both palms contained mere simple rasengan, no wind chakra added to them. That way, control was much easier and the amount of chakra used up was less.

The original merely gestured towards the suna genin before all the clones charged at Gaara. Two rasengans each with ten clones, it wasn't long before Gaara felt the full force behind the swirling spheres.

Instantly, his sand shields rose from all directions, temporarily withstanding the power of the jutsu. However, it soon became clear that the rasengan were stronger and bit by bit, the shields cracked.

The thing about Gaara's sand would be the high density, stronger than that of iron, and along with the velocity at which the substance rose from the ground, normally, any attack would easily be deflected. However, it just so happened that rasengan was a sustaining jutsu, meaning the output was maintained until the resistance was eradicated. This left Gaara with no choice but to force the offensive. Truth be told, he was classified by his sensei as more of a 'counter-striker', where his absolute defense helped him search out weaknesses of the enemy before he eliminated them with his extreme offense. Usually, a simple Sabaku Kyu along with a Sabaku Soso would have ended the match, yet it would seem Naruto had done all he could to prevent Gaara from using his most efficient tactic.

Snarling, the redhead summoned up his chakra, a yellow glow surrounding him before letting it explode outwards, "Sabaku Reppa! _(Desert Blast)_" The sudden increase in power took the clones by surprise and in a flash, all ten kage bunshin were eliminated by the sudden burst of sand.

Gaara however, instantly focused his eyes on the figure dashing towards him, a mixture of red and white surrounding the blond. Not even thinking, Gaara formed a ram seal, "Sabaku…" The sand that was forced up in the previous attack instantly congregated before him, twisting as it was increased in intensity of chakra.

"Doriru! _(Desert Drill)_"

"Rengoku Bakuha! _(Hell Blast)_"

As dense as Gaara's sand was, especially after intentionally compressing it into a drill, it was still futile before the attack that sent the clone that had thirty percent of an S-rank missing nin straight into oblivion. Kaen Furea in the right hand, Futon Rasengan in the left, both were well-known as deadly killers and when combined together, the condensed chakra spurring each other on only served to greatly increase the output damage that would be caused on anything or even anyone daring to take this attack straight on.

Naturally, the Suna genin felt quite astonished when his Sabaku Doriru was utterly ripped apart as Naruto rammed both arms into the attack, tearing through the sand as though it were paper. Gaara immediately took action and raised both arms, "Sabaku Sho! _(Desert Rush)_"

Two huge torrents of sand blasted themselves at Naruto who had just charged his way through the first attack. As the crowd gave muffled gasps of fright for the blond, the konoha genin forcefully separated his two jutsu before clashing right on with the sand, Rasengan and Kaen Furea each taking one half of the attack.

Letting out a yell as he felt both jutsu begin to slip due to the strong resistance, Naruto once again was forced to defend as Gaara aimed one larger shot of sand at him.

Skidding backwards as he finally warded off the sand bullet, Naruto ensured that he had a strong footing before letting loose one of the strongest fire attacks he had in his arsenal, "Katon: Karyuendan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Flaming Missile)_"

Gaara once again relied on his sand shield to ward off most of the flames, however, a B-rank jutsu would not be bested so easily as the Suna genin still suffered minor burns on his skin due to the extreme intensity of the attack, especially when Naruto increased the output to the max, creating pure white flames that even began to melt the sand.

"Graaaaarrrr!!!!" The redhead suddenly raised a hand, causing the sand around him to swirl about, enveloping himself into one huge orb of sand, showing the crowd just what it meant to have absolute defense.

Releasing the jutsu, Naruto took in a few breaths as he scrutinized the sight before him, wondering if this was the ultimate defense that Gaara was so proud of. So far, not one shinobi had been able to break through that sphere of his. The sand would counterattack any opposing force applied to it, making close combat practically impossible. Long-range attacks wouldn't have much use because by the time they reached the sand dome, the defense would be much stronger than the offense for them to have any effect.

Gaara on the other hand, was quietly forming seals within the sand dome, "Inu, Usagi, Tora, Uma, Ryu, Tori, Usagi, Tora…"

Due to the supreme control he had over his sand, he continued his plan of grinding the minerals underneath the ground of the arena, creating more sand before spreading them all over the field, ready to be used.

Hence, it wasn't long when Naruto found himself busy evading multiple sand spikes that simply appeared from the ground itself.

"Tori, Tora, Uma, Inu, Ryu! Take this Uzumaki! Sabaku Shisai! _(Desert's Death Penalty)_"

"Naruto! Look out!" Sakura felt herself shouting in anxiety as sand spikes struck at Naruto from all directions, rising at amazing speeds from the ground, almost piercing right through the blond's torso on several occasions.

Naruto had to make quick use of Shunpo coupled with his taijutsu kata, Ryuudo Gensou to avoid being sentenced to death just like that. There was absolutely no way to predict just where more sand would appear. The deadly spikes gradually increased in velocity as they grew from the ground, getting longer and sharper as time passed. It would seem Gaara had taken the time to ensure absolute control on the 'new' sand that he obtained from the ground, and refined the shapes of the sand.

The speed at which they were appearing grew to be extremely annoying as Naruto had to start using jutsu to blast his way through what appeared to be a whole forest of the sand spikes.

"Grrrr, this is getting irritating! Katon: Shakkakyu! _(Fire Element: Crimson flame ball)_ Fuuton: Fuuryudan! Nigyo Kentai, Rekka! _(Extreme flames)_"

To the crowd it would seem that the wind dragon had spit out a small fire orb, which then expanded, growing to twenty times its original size before exploding into a fiery rage of blazing flames, sweeping over the sand spikes that appeared, disintegrating them as Naruto utilized the speed of Shunpo, dashing with all his might as he charged towards the sand dome.

There was only one chance. The moment the attack reached the dome, more spikes would definitely strike at him, hence he had but one go at it. It was time to use _it_. The very essence of the theory 'compression'…

"Haaaarrrrgggghhh!!!" Placing both hands behind him as he charged head on, wind chakra was spread all around his arms, much like that of Kaen Furea, only this time, there were no flames, only a growing wind swirl that caused sonic resonance sharp to the ears as he moved through the air.

He had spent many days perfecting this jutsu after learning from both Ryusei and Minagi about ninjutsu, and with the ideas he came up with after consulting with the two Fukei, he decided to create a jutsu that actually made use of both the theories of Rasengan and Kaen Furea. As of now, Kaen Furea along with its variation Kaen Rin, could only be counted as high B-rank jutsu. He needed a breakthrough, he required more knowledge to create better ways to protect his team.

Kaen Furea had helped him protect Hanabi and Hinata, and to a certain extent, Kireki even. Variation Kaen Rin had been the key in clashing with Orochimaru and somehow helping him escape that disgusting snake freak. And ever since he knew that he would be facing the ichibi jinchuuriki, he understood that what he had in his arsenal as of now would not be enough to take on the one who could possibly make any place on the land his territory.

Hence, this jutsu was born.

"This is it…"

The intensity of the wind chakra rose until it could be seen by the naked eye. Blue with tints of white on the edges, oscillating around his arms as he neared the sand dome.

"Fuuton: Mugen Senkuu! _(Wind Element: Unlimited Wheels of the Sky)_"

Slamming both fists into the surface of the sand dome, Naruto let out a furious roar as he felt the beginnings of pain as the spikes appeared as expected. However, that didn't last long at all as the wind chakra did its job.

The attack repeatedly crashed into the sand dome in waves, over and over, twisting, whirling, crushing all that stood in its way. The circles of chakra overlapped and interconnected with one another, forming a continuous pulse, penetrating through the so-called 'ultimate defense' of Gaara.

The shockwaves expanded and contracted rhythmically, attacking the defense over and over, disintegrating it bit by bit. Hence, it was with great shock that Gaara witnessed the complete obliteration of his dome, and literally felt the air leave his body as the chakra pulse reached his torso.

The chakra didn't just pass him, it _tunneled _through him, causing tremors throughout his body. The pain was something he had never felt before. For once, Gaara understood what it meant to have internal injuries. Feeling something sweet gushing up his throat, he instinctively opened his mouth and coughed up some blood. His pupils were quivering as he reached up to wipe his lips. Staring at the red liquid, he slowly raised his head to stare the blond responsible for this.

Naruto on the other hand, was suffering major damage to his right hand where the spike had pierced right through his palm the first time. The muscles were already repairing themselves thanks to Kyuubi's regenerative qualities, however, that meant that he had to wait for awhile before he would regain use of his right hand.

Knowing that it was all or nothing, Naruto quickly began forming one-handed seals, courtesy of Jiraiya, and repeated the sequence for the four point seal that Ryusei had taught him. It was common knowledge that even numbered seals disrupted the stability of odd numbered seals.

Gaara had a mild three point seal on his torso, hence the reason for the constant insomnia along with random moments of insanity. The bijuu actually had the ability to interrupt his thoughts at will, something that shouldn't have happened had it been a proper seal. Naruto would make use of the weak basis of the seal to eliminate at least half of the power by adding a seal on top of the original one.

It all happened in a flash, with Naruto leaping above Gaara, left palm brimming chakra as he slammed it directly onto the kanji for 'love' on his forehead, "Fuinjutsu! Shishou Fuin! _(Seal Technique: Four Component Seal)_"

An aura of red infiltrated Gaara's yellow as roars of agony and pain could be heard from the Suna genin. The crowd didn't even understand what was going on when suddenly, feathers began to fall all over them, and just as instantly, a sudden wave of sleepiness seemed to descend upon them.

That was the signal.

It was time.

Without trouble, Sakura and Ino dispelled the genjutsu, leaping into the arena, ready for action. Chouji, Kiba and even Shikamaru, along with the others all recovered a moment later, immediately getting ready for battle.

Naruto gritted his teeth as the Ichibi Jinchuuriki went completely berserk, random bursts of sand lashing out, one of them latching onto Naruto's leg, flinging him to the other end, causing the blond to crash into the wall hard.

Witnessing the chaotic scene before him, along with the emerging shinobi from both sides, there was no doubt.

The invasion had begun.

* * *

_**Man, sorry about this chapter. It lacked a lot of stuff that I wanted to emphasize, but unfortunately, this stretch of events just left me completely spent. To be honest, this chapter felt like a chore. I apologize. **_

_**Even so, do tell me how it went. I need feedback, and the easiest way would be to look at the reviews. Thanks for the support in advance. Heh. **_

_**I'll try and make the invasion better than this one, so do look forward to the next chap. By the time I get back to New Zealand, I should be back in form. Well then, see ya guys. **_


	38. No More Mr Nice Guy

_**A/N: Time for the invasion. Let's get the party started! XD**_

_**Glad that you guys enjoyed the fight last chapter. Will continue to ensure this lasts. Heh. **_

_**By the way… be prepared for some hot-blooded stuff from our favorite blond. I've often imagined fights of Jinchuurikis as much more... you get my point. **_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 38: No more Mr. Nice Guy

They had received the signal for the invasion.

It was a simple clear cut order for them to execute the actions, seeing how they've been preparing for the past few hours. However, the moment the snake summons appeared, every single Suna and Oto Shinobi felt a chill go down their spine.

A deathly cold voice had echoed throughout the area of the forest, "Fuinjutsu: Kekkai Masshou. _(Sealing technique: Boundary Eraser)_"

Before the invaders could begin to comprehend just what exactly was going on, the ground beneath their feet glow an aqua crescent, before they could literally feel the chakra rush past their bodies, rising into the air, forming multiple leashes as they tied themselves around the summons, forcefully dragging them through the cerulean arc on the ground. In a flash, all the snakes disappeared in cries of agony, for as all should understand that no matter who, or what, being pulled through a dimension of space and time against one's will was an extremely painful experience.

"A real pity that you just happened to attack from the east. Very well, Kamio Ryusei, at your service." Fazing into existence before the very group of Suna and Oto Shinobi, he completely surprised them and caught hold of their attention, before a whole arsenal of jutsu was sent crashing at them, killing most of them in an instant. Those that survived were perhaps treated to a fate worse than death for the specialized ANBU team led by the famous Seiryuu ensured that none would leak out the news that their first main wave of attack was subdued.

It wasn't long before their bodies were impaled with kunai. Their senses were flooded with the pain for those steel weren't aimed to kill. They were used to lock them to the ground so that nobody would be able to escape. And as three ANBU stepped forward, the more seasoned shinobi understood just what was going to happen next.

Information gathering was a really specific skill, and usually one would have to be extremely tender in obtaining said info. However, amongst those skills, one branch completely went against those logics, and that would be interrogation and torture.

Mitarashi Anko was an expert in that field, and knew exactly which bits of the human mind or body to attack and assault. It was really… well, _refreshing_ for those in her department to see her back and well. Though they would never say it out loud, they were very impressed with the results she obtained from their prisoners, and even some of the rookies were treating her like a role model.

What could they say? She was Genbu of the Shi Fukei. The scene before them alone was enough for them to understand why. The teams under her had clashed right on with the invaders, determined to hold them at bay. Anko had been leading them, and they were all successful to a certain extent, where they made sure the enemies had more mortalities than they did, until a few of them started summoning snakes through scrolls and adding to the fire power, causing more than a few more men of theirs to die in the most gruesome way possible.

Anko had enough and had called on her right as the snake summon contract holder, utilizing her chakra through the seal she had imprinted on her arms, forced all snakes present into submission, and with a hiss as command, all the reptiles turned on their summoners and before long, it was over.

It was unfortunate that Anko was too busy getting intelligence of the Suna Oto alliance, otherwise, she would have noticed the gazes of respect that was sent to her from all directions. The first wave attacking the North of Konoha ended in failure.

In the west, with her Byakugan blazing with determination, the group sent to head off the invaders comprised primarily of taijutsu and weapon users. The information Jiraiya provided showed that other than summons, the Suna and Oto shinobi were going to rely on their 'tough' bodies and weird weapons to surprise the Konoha ninja and gain an advantage in this battle.

"Hakke: Sanbyaku Rokujuuichi Shou! _(Eight Divinations: Three hundred and sixty one palms)_" Demonstrating exactly why she was known as Byakko of Konoha, Hyuga Kireki unleashed the epitome of the Hakke Shou Ougi, sending those that dared stand in her way into oblivion.

Needless to say, this first wave was wiped out without much trouble. Furrowing her brows, she examined the injuries before ordering her troops to spread out and conceal their presences, leaving the corpses of the enemy flung all over the place. The second wave would be in for a surprise when they came upon this scene……

To the south, Minagi extinguished the last of the invaders with a well-timed Dai Ryuka _(Great Dragon Fire)_ along with her subordinates combined Fuuton: Daitoppa _(Wind Element: Great Breakthrough)_. It hadn't been too much trouble. What Suna and Oto had to offer in terms of ninjutsu was nothing compared to the sheer talent Konoha had.

Oto could use sounds to mesmerize them, true, however, those were proved meaningless since Minagi had beforehand, placed a genjutsu barrier around the area, preventing any attempts in disrupting any of the five senses of her comrades to take effect. Suna simply relied on wind and earth attacks, though a couple did show fire skills. Unfortunately, before Suzaku of Konoha, there was no contest.

Nevertheless, this was just the beginning. The second wave was coming in…

* * *

_**Back at the stadium……**_

"I should have expected this from you Orochimaru." Sarutobi sighed as his favorite student years ago held him hostage, before he was trapped in a barrier of some sort, where it was held together by four jonin-leveled shinobi. Shishi Enjin, or so Orochimaru had called it.

Truth be told, he was impressed, for there was one layer within, along with the main layer outside, preventing the captured from breaking out too easily. Judging from the purpled hue of the barrier, he supposed it either had deadly poisons within or flames of the highest intensity to counter those that neared it.

Shaking his head slowly, Sarutobi grimaced, "Apparently, I was a fool to have even trusted in you back then."

"That you were sensei, for it was you who had let me leave, where I could perform more experiments of the most exotic kind. Do you not see that my chase has led me closer to immortality than any knowledge that you would be able to pass on to me?"

"Again with that silly goal. One could never be immortal in this world." The Sandaime Hokage removed his cloak to reveal a battle gear that had not been worn for quite some time. "The burden one would have to withstand is far too great for one such as you to experience."

"Is that all you can say Sensei? I had no idea that you had shriveled to such a pathetic existence where you would give such sentimental comments. What happened to the God of Shinobi?" Orochimaru mocked as he readied himself for combat, intentionally insulting his sensei's pride to get a response from the seemingly numb, old man.

"Tell me Orochimaru." Sarutobi ignored his previous comment and stared at him right in the eyes, "Do you truly believe you are able to conquer Konoha?"

Narrowing his eyes in contempt, "Tch, you never change, sensei. Still placing so much faith in a broken village I see. Hmph, I will not only crush you, but I'll make sure to destroy every single one of its citizens, eliminate their existence just to spit on your grave."

Closing his eyes, Sarutobi steeled himself for the battle that was to come, "Blind hatred will get you nowhere…"

"It is more than that, you old fool. Revenge isn't enough to satisfy me. Total, complete obliteration would be a much more agreeing motive. After all, I'm doing this place a justice. To think that they would even lower themselves to attack a helpless seven year old kid for merely having something thrust into him at birth shows the value of this so-called honorable village. Oh, did I forget to mention that it was the Fourth's _son_ that was on the receiving end of all this? My, my, sensei, Minato would be turning in his grave – "

"Don't you dare mention that event Orochimaru! Do not think that I am ignorant to the spies you have present within my village." His eyes, blazing with fury, opened once again to reveal that very sense of presence, that aura of authority, to show just why he was once feared as a shinobi. Gone was the kind-hearted old man that solved everything through peace. In his place stood a seasoned warrior with years of experience stacked up within his body, where the muscles themselves would remember the many scars obtained from the battles he had been through.

Orochimaru gave a snide sneer, "Ah, but of course, I did wonder how they seemed to have such timely 'accidents'. No matter, they were of little importance. Let's be honest, Sarutobi-_sensei_, all my men did was be the catalyst, your villagers, _your_ prized citizens were the reactants." Holding up a finger, he waved it slightly before putting on a disapproving expression, "To think this was what the Yondaime gave up his life for. How pathetic…"

"Doton: Doryudan! _(Earth Element: Earth Dragon missile)_" As commanded, the chakra seeped within the roof and formed the head of the beast, firing multiple mud blasts at the amused Sannin.

However, it would seem that his amusement didn't last very long.

"Katon: Karyudan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon missile)_" The fire cloaked the blasts, not only increasing the damage they could deal, but also vastly upping the velocity at which they were travelling. Orochimaru barely made a Tsuchi bunshin _(Mud Clone)_ in time before he escaped from that particular spot.

Sarutobi didn't stop with that, and continued with his arsenal of techniques, "Katon: Kinka! _(Fire Element: Golden Flames)_" The missiles that had been fired before suddenly exploded into sparks, showering the snake-nin in a storm of gold, forcing him to once again go on the defensive.

Clamping his hands together, he commanded the element once more, "Katon: Hisen! _(Heat Arrows)_" The flickering embers re-ignited themselves even after Orochimaru evaded them, forming the sharp instruments of death as they once again seared towards the Sannin.

Gritting his teeth at these petty annoyances, Orochimaru countered with Fuuton Daitoppa, determined to end these little games once and for all. However, that was all Sarutobi needed as his hands worked on a new set of seals, "Doton: Doryu Shibari! _(Earth element: Earth Dragon Bind)_"

Orochimaru's eyes widened as the roof separated, allowing huge amounts of mud to latch onto his torso, spinning into a huge dome around him, capturing him within the sparks and the wind he had blown mere seconds ago.

Amongst the cries of agony within, Sarutobi narrowed his eyes, "Fundo Kourou! _(Steel Cage of the Flaming Earth)_"

An explosion that blasted the earth confinement to pieces, revealing an unharmed Orochimaru, who was merely glaring daggers at the Hokage, "Not too bad, sensei. I see your skills are impressive as ever."

"The same could be said for you Orochimaru. Nice use of Dogyo jutsu _(Earth Fish)_ back there, fitting for a snake like you, tunneling into the ground to escape."

Not even bothering to fall for his taunts, the snake Sannin instead formed seals, "Fuuton: Mugen Daitoppa! _(Wind Element: Infinite Great Breakthroughs)_" Seeing how this was a close off area, the wind would cause shockwaves that could reverberate after being deflected off the walls of the barrier. The manipulation of chakra within this jutsu showed that indeed, the Sannin was not without talent in this field of Shinobi arts.

However, the Sandaime was more than ready for this, "Doton: Goshi Yama! _(Earth Element: Five Finger Mountain)_" As the technique suggested, a hand-shaped obstacle appeared from the ground, increased to the highest density possible, deeply rooted to the ground, protecting Sarutobi from the damage that could potentially be caused had Orochimaru's jutsu hit.

Orochimaru frowned and did his trademark jutsu, "Senei Tajashu! _(Multiple Shadow Hidden Snakes)_" From both arms, the reptiles emerged hissing with want for blood as they tunneled through the winds, heading straight for the barrier Sarutobi was hiding behind.

To this, the Sandaime could only smirk as he formed a ram seal, "So. _(Block)_"

The finger-like structures closed the gaps between them in an instant, hardening in order to prevent the snakes from penetrating this defense.

Realizing what the old man was up to, Orochimaru snarled, "Oh no you don't! Katon: Kibaku Tama! _(Explosive Jade)_" From his lips emerged a huge ball of shining red, as though the chakra had been solidified after immense pressure was applied to it internally, compressed to the extent where crystals were formed, before it was released and sent towards the mountain.

Sandaime shook his head, "Too late. Shuu. _(Collect)_" The 'fingers' curled inwards, easily crushing the snakes, rendering that threat useless before Sarutobi issued his next order, "Hou. _(Release)_" Sending chakra into the mountain, the fingers gained elastic momentum as they were flung back to their original positions, with the remains of the snakes in one big mangled heap, clashing right on with Orochimaru's technique.

The explosion rocked the surroundings as the smoke slowly cleared.

"Shin. _(Extend)_" Obeying his command, the earth-made structures reached forward, lengthening towards the Sannin that deftly evaded their approach.

"This is beginning to get annoying." Orochimaru growled, "Raiton: Zansatsu! _(Lightning Element: Slash of Death)_" White bolts of energy appeared from his palms as they shredded bits of the 'fingers' off, however, it would seem that the strength of earth was not to be underestimated.

"Setsu. _(Intercept)_" Forming a tiger seal this time, the 'fingers' suddenly increased the speed at which they were moving, impaling their tips without hesitation into the area around the Sannin, with all five firmly stuck into the roof.

And here was where the epitome of ninjutsu was truly shown. Not the knowledge of it, but the execution. This was exactly why Sarutobi was known as the God of Shinobi.

Maintaining control of the structure with his right hand, his left hand flashed into a series of different seals after he had flung a shuriken at the dodging Orochimaru, "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" One turned to many as the Sannin had new threats to evade.

That was the distraction needed and Sarutobi wasted no time, clenching his right fist, he activated his chakra source for the kill, "Atsu! _(Press)_" The 'palm' of the mountain instantly surged forward, and taking advantage of Orochimaru's lapse of attention, it successfully crashed down onto the snake sannin, leaving no room for escape as it was deeply imprinted into the ground.

Rotating his neck once, Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at the sudden silence from his 'student'. He was not naïve as to believe that would have taken Orochimaru out. It was more what the shinobi was scheming that had he worried.

A few slicing noises were heard, before the 'fingers' along with the 'palm' fell to pieces as though they were common wood. Narrowing his eyes, he sighed as Orochimaru appeared once again, only this time, he had the legendary sword Kusanagi within his hand. His eyes held a glint, not unlike that of a snake staring at its prey, and judging from the stance he was in, perhaps it was time to summon Enma.

"Well done, Sarutobi-sensei. You managed to make me reveal this weapon so early in the game. I had no idea you were in such a rush to die, old man." His sneers were coupled with the nonchalant swings of the blade, which managed to cause cracks to appear in the roof due to the condensed chakra it was expelling.

"Hmph, I see your arrogance continues to blind you." Sarutobi formed yet another set of seals, "Do you actually think that I'm going to let you have your way with this battle?"

Orochimaru titled his head, "Why yes! I have just the thing for you in fact. Wouldn't it be nice if we were to bring back some… old friends, for instance?" His maniacal smile widened as realization dawned on Sarutobi, who could only speed up his seal formation while the Snake Sannin clapped his hands together, before slamming them into the ground, "Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei! _(Summoning: Exchange of the Underworld)_"

"Katon: Karyu Endan! _(Fire Element: Fire Dragon Flame Missile)_" Taking in a huge breath, he blasted the flames directly at Orochimaru, intending to stop him before the coffins even began to rise. This was one of the most area effective jutsu in his arsenal, and though he doubted it would be enough, it should temporarily prevent them from rising.

Imagine his surprise when the coffin simply rose through the golden flames, as though immune to heat as Orochimaru gleefully shouted, "First!"

Eyes widening, the Sandaime Hokage decided to increase the intensity, and release the breath of fire, before shouting, "Fuuton: Tori no Uta! _(Wind Element: Song of the Birds)_" In pulses, bird-shaped chakra was fired towards the flames, amplifying their effect as they sliced through the air, cutting all that stood in their way. The first coffin was bombarded and halted for a short period of time in the air.

However, the second coffin was already appearing, "Second!" Orochimaru's grin couldn't have been wider.

Now knowing there wasn't much choice out of this, Sarutobi gritted his teeth and pulled the cancelation jutsu, "Damn it, not the fourth as well!"

Before he could finish however, the top of the fourth coffin was already seen, and at this rate, he definitely wouldn't make it in time. The Snake Sannin had such a proud look on his face that someone decided he needed to be rewarded for his sheer haughty personality.

"Uurrrrryyyyyyyyaaa!!!!" A single punch to the right cheek, with said fist twisting right into his jawbone, shattering it upon contact, sent Orochimaru flying backwards, spinning in the air.

He could barely react before a deep, masculine voice was heard, one that made him feel fear for the first time in so many years, "Rasengan!" Before he could even utter, the blue orb was driven into his torso.

Given the reason that Orochimaru's hands had left the ground, the jutsu was slowed down by a huge extent, hence allowing Sarutobi to successfully cancel this forbidden jutsu and send the fourth back to where he was supposed to be.

Orochimaru snarled in a pain as he flying roared, "Seneijashu!" The snakes attempted to twirl themselves around the one using Rasengan, however, it was a bit late for said person had already released the jutsu which left the Snake Sannin falling pathetically to the ground in a heap.

The high speed at which Orochimaru was slammed away countered by the vicious spins of the Rasengan had pretty much caused that particular body of his to be rendered useless.

A blonde woman with huge bust stood to the left of Sarutobi, "Man, sensei, you're getting old."

Sarutobi smiled, "I shall accept that statement when you've released yourself from that genjutsu."

"Oooh, he's got you there Tsunade."

"Hush, you!"

A taller male with spiky white mane-like hair stood to his right, "Well, well, well, this is what I call a reunion."

Orochimaru coughed up blood as he tried to get up using that butchered body of his, "You… you! D-Didn't Itachi… and Kisame…"

"Lose to _them_?" Tsunade snorted, "You're joking right?"

"Apparently immortality made people stupid." Jiraiya laughed, "Man, that felt good. Wanna try it again?"

"Absolutely." The blonde cracked her knuckles menacingly as she glared at the Snake sannin.

Finally getting up, Orochimaru gave a roar as he opened his mouth wide. The act that he was about to perform was gruesome beyond belief, where actually a separate Orochimaru appeared from within his mouth, crawling out of a skin almost, just like that of a snake, before an all 'new' Orochimaru stood before their eyes, with saliva dripping and all that. The look of fury on his face was apparent, and the complete hatred he had harbored was revealed for all to see.

"Great. Somehow I didn't think he was going to take that lying down." Jiraiya scratched his head, "But I have to say… that was one disgusting…"

"Don't say it. It'll ruin my appetite."

"Ah, my bad, hime."

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow as he stared at his two students, "Just what took you so long?"

Jiraiya sighed, "You do realize that devising a seal to protect the entire village from the chakra backlash in case the two Jinchuuriki decide they are going to have some fun is quite taxing for one as old as me."

Tsunade nodded, "The medical facilities needed help, and so I had to spread Katsuyu all over the village. That took a while. Gomen nasai."

Orochimaru, to everyone's surprise, laughed at this point, "Efficient as always. I don't suppose you could enlighten me on how you got through the barrier?" His eyes were murderous, the sarcasm dripping from him in waves.

Jiraiya smirked, "Nothing a simple water seal couldn't handle. One has to obey the rules of elements after all."

"Why you…"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes as the lids on the coffins fell to reveal two people that she thought would never appear before her again.

"Now, you've pissed me off, Orochimaru. One does _not_ mess with the dead!" Her voice was tightened to a snarl as Jiraiya placed a hand on her shoulder in order to calm her down.

Orochimaru laughed sickeningly, "Oh, but I do. I'm not just anyone now, am I?" He held up two kunai with paper slips hanging off them.

Noticing the array of the seals, Jiraiya's face hardened, "Things have just rose to a whole new level of shit."

"I would watch your tongue around me, brat. Good to see you still haven't changed." The Shodai Hokage spoke in a strangely quiet voice. "Didn't Saru teach you anything?"

Sarutobi couldn't help but wipe at his eyes as he faced his two successors, "It's a pity we had to meet under these circumstances…"

The aqua-haired one turned to Tsunade, "Yo hime. All grown up I see."

"Grand-uncle… I…" She bit her lips, alternating her gaze between her two most respected relatives of all times.

"It's good to see you, Tsu."

"Kuso jiji… you have no idea how much I missed you…" Tears were already gathering in her eyes as memories of their happy days surfaced in her mind.

The Shodai chuckled, "You haven't changed one bit."

Nidaime Hokage turned his head slightly, "Seeing how we're in our battle gear, I assume the young man behind me is the one that summoned us."

Orochimaru smiled in a disgustingly sweet manner, "Why yes. However, I think that the casual chit-chat should end here. Why don't you two get on with your jobs?" Slowly placing the kunai into the backs of their head, Orochimaru's smirk widened by the second.

Shodai gave a simple sigh, before looking right at the three standing before them, "It appears that we cannot escape the fates of war. Forgive us, Saru, Tsu, Jirai-gaki."

"Jiji!" Tsunade shouted in despair as the orbs of her grandfather turned pitch black, showing how his emotions had been erased from his mind.

Jiraiya gritted his teeth as he held onto Tsunade, not letting her go lest she got herself hurt on impulse. This was exactly like Orochimaru, using kin to hurt you first.

Sarutobi steeled himself as he stood up straight once again, "You've crossed the line Orochimaru. Those who mess with time are not let off at the end of their journeys!" His fists were clenched and his eyes burning with determination.

"That would not be a worry of mine, for I, only I, am eternal." His grin was positively insane with glee as he raised Kusanagi, "Kill them all, leave none alive."

Taking slow steps forward, the two Hokage, now mindless killing drones gradually built up momentum as they began to recover what had been their fighting capacities before they died.

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya shouted as he stood ready.

The Nidaime was already charging towards him, fists ready to pummel him like he did so many times when he was just a child. Gritting his teeth, Jiraiya formed the seals, before yelling, "Ninpo: Hari Jizo! _(Ninja Arts: Hidden Needles of the Earth)_"

The Nidaime took no notice as he drove his hands into the armor, completely unaware of the sensation of pain for this was simply a body made out of mud, cloaked over a dead human sacrifice.

Using the chance to ensnare the Nidaime within his mane, Jiraiya spun around, before flinging said man into the barrier, before yelling, "Katon: Endan! _(Fire Element: Flame Missile)_"

The fireball completely engulfed the man, preventing him from moving as Jiraiya scorched him from head to toe, before releasing his hold on him.

Tsunade on the other hand, was already engaged in a hand-to-hand combat with her grandfather, trading blows with surpreme accuracy, and shrugging them off like they were nothing. One wouldn't expect a woman her build to pack much defensive strength, but with this one, they were sorely mistaken.

A single uppercut to the chin sent the Shodai in the air, before she rammed him with her shoulder, bashing his arms away from the torso before she completely _tore_ into him with her punches, unleashing them in a furious frenzy, before ending it by firstly drawing back her arm, and smashing it into his face, blasting him a good distance backwards before she stood back to back with her perverted teammate.

"Wow, you certainly aren't pulling any punches."

"The person I see right now, is not my grandfather."

"Ah, good observation."

"Shut up pervert."

"Now that hurt, hime."

"Heh, you know you love me."

"… Did I hear that right?"

"Who knows?"

"Did I _seriously_ hear that right?"

"We're all pretty serious here."

Jiraiya laughed loudly as Tsunade giggled to herself. This was very much like old times where the two would spend ages in useless banter, teasing one another, egging each other on as they stood together to fight off their enemies.

Sarutobi could feel his heart at ease seeing how these two students of his came out. When compared to them, Orochimaru was but a bug, a dirty, slimy bug waiting to be crushed.

Forming the seals for the boss summoning, he took in a deep breath as he faced Orochimaru head on.

"Ninpo Kuchiyose: Enko Ou, Enma! _(Ninja Arts Summoning: Boss of the Apes, Enma)_"

"_Long time no see, Sarutobi. I trust that you have made up your mind?"_

"Ah yes, Enma. I apologize for letting my mistake drag till today."

"_I see, well then, let's get started. Henge!"_

Feeling the familiar weight of the black rod in his hands, Sarutobi smirked wildly at Orochimaru's snarl, "Perhaps if we hurry, we might make it home for dinner after all."

* * *

_**Down in the arena……**_

Naruto, was in a word, _pissed_.

First of all, he had to say that he really didn't think he would be that worried when he saw Orochimaru take Sandaime-jiji hostage. However, he soon had to learn that splitting his attention between the insane one-tailed Jinchuuriki before him and stuff that was happening in the background was quite a severe mistake.

The crazed Gaara wasted no time in sending a demonic claw of sand that was attached to his arm crashing into him, grabbing him, before repeatedly slamming him into the walls.

As much as Naruto hated to admit it, that had hurt like a _bitch_.

He had tried to stand up, but unfortunately, it would seem that the redhead had learnt his lesson and proceeded to choke him. That didn't work too well, as Naruto had replaced himself with a Kage Bunshin that instantly exploded. That had caused a distraction.

He looked around to find Ino and Sakura running towards him, as though determined to fight this battle together. However, he decided that they had much more important things to do at the moment than get injured facing a nonsensically berserk Suna-nin. Hence, he had decided to be the gallant fool and block the incoming sand bullet stampede from the two girls while sending a kage bunshin to tell them where _exactly_ they were to be.

That of course, earned him blasts of intense pain as he fell to the ground once again.

Raising his head, he could see the puppet dude laughing at him while the blonde female staring at him with curiosity laced with slight condescension, however, that was not what made him feel at ease. No, it was the sight of Jiraiya and Tsunade smashing through the roof and confronting Orochimaru that got him to calm down.

For one second.

Then Gaara was on him again, bashing and crashing and doing all kinds of stuff to ensure that he did _not_ get off the ground to form an attack. Of course, the redhead paid no attention to the amount of stuff he destroyed; let alone the number of people he almost killed by flinging the rubble around.

The ANBU were at their respective positions ensuring that none of the invaders got out of this arena alive, and four of their best were currently securing the area outside the purple barrier. They were hand picked by the Shi Fukei to ensure the safety of the Hokage. Their order was to survive until the four guardians returned.

Of course, Naruto knew that his order was to subdue this stinking sand bastard, but at this moment, after being smashed into the ground for the fiftieth time, something within him just snapped.

Oh, it wasn't the brain or mind or anything specific like that. It was just anger taking over. And if Kyuubi could experience this sight, he might have been surprised, for this time, he actually had nothing to do with the boy's rage.

The redhead had yelled gleefully as he continued to pummel the Konoha nin, wanting to torture him for as long as possible, before wiping his existence off this earth. It wasn't until the fact that his elongated sand-arms were actually 'removed' from his torso that he began to realize something was wrong.

The next moment, he could firmly feel a fist ramming itself into his cheek, drawing not just a bit of blood before he stumbled backwards. The face of a thoroughly pissed off Naruto appeared before his and cerulean orbs glared menacingly into his.

What happened next had Kankuro and Temari staring with their jaws open, unable to take in the scene before them.

The blond had just appeared in the blink of an eye, grabbing onto Gaara's hair, before flinging him around in a circle, gathering momentum, and finally brought their youngest brother's face smashing into the ground. The crater that the attack formed due to the chakra backlash showed just how serious Naruto was.

Temari had never deemed the blond to be one so violent, but at that moment, she begged to differ. For a moment there, it would seem that Naruto was even _more_ aggressive than her brother.

After the initial attack, Gaara was caught in a daze, while Naruto continued his assault, this time choosing to grab the redhead's real arm, slamming him into the wall, before pulling back both fists and simply raining them down on the redhead's torso at a speed that seemed blurry to the naked eye. Gaara never had the chance to be affected by gravity, for the punches simply kept him on the wall.

Naruto didn't stop there, with an angry growl, he grabbed Gaara by his throat, before dragging him across the arena as he picked up speed, making note to force his torso as deeply into the ground as possible, before releasing wind chakra in his hand as he threw Gaara into the air with a deadly slice.

The next move was to charge both arms up with concentrated wind chakra, thinned out into blade like projections, before he held them in the air, catching Gaara just as he fell, digging into his flesh, drawing multiple roars of agony from him before Naruto forcefully brought both hands down to the sides, ripping the imaginary blades of wind through the redhead's torso, relishing in his screams as Naruto didn't even look back at his writhing form.

Just as quickly, Gaara was back on his feet, murderous intent completely unveiled as he summoned sand on his arms once again as he morphed more into the miniature version of his demon, "You shall pay for that!"

Naruto didn't even blink as he simply executed a quick Shunpo, getting behind Gaara, before vehemently pulling him around, crashing his right fist directly into his face once again, adding in a few kicks to start a juggle, before he himself leapt into the air, and stretched out his arms.

Gaara could only widen his eyes all he could see was a yellow blur before Naruto drove that arm into his throat, not letting go as he travelled at high speed out of the arena, heading for the place where his Kage Bunshin had told his teammates to be at.

Temari and Kankuro had to shake themselves out of their reverie, before they took chase. All along, they saw trees smashed down everywhere, and for some reason, the idea that Naruto had probably crashed their brother through all obstacles didn't seem too far out of reach.

"Now!" Narrowing his eyes as Sakura and Ino both launched their respective all-out offensive jutsu, Gaara found himself being bombarded from all three sides, with Naruto's re-use of the Mugen Senkuu blasting him back a huge distance.

Actually panting for breath, the redhead slowly regained his footing as his beady eyes scrutinized the three that dared interrupt with his desire to kill.

"You… you… all of you! Shall die for standing in my way! I'll prove my existence by killing all of you!" He roared as his chakra flared again. It just went to show that physical attacks could only go so far when fighting a Jinchuuriki.

Naruto didn't have a problem with that. In fact, he was seen taking in a deep breath and letting it out, a _huge_ grin on his face, "Now_ that_ felt good."

Sakura chuckled, "Yes, yes, we're sure you enjoyed beating the crap out of him, now mind if you actually finish the job?"

The blond raised an eyebrow, "You really are a know-it-all. But damn, do stay like that please, I'm not sure I prefer you any other way."

"Psh. Whatever. Ino! You ready? You're up first after all." Sakura looked to her grumbling blonde friend.

"Yes, she gets all the flirting while I do all the work. Nice allocation of effort you've got there." Ino drawled as she readied her chakra and hand seals.

"Oh grow up Ino-pig." She retorted as she tried to hide her blush.

"And be all mature? Where's the fun in that?" Her expression of mock horror did fit her personality well, and Naruto couldn't resist giving her a kiss that very moment.

"Ino, did I ever tell you that you're sexy when you do that?"

Batting her eyelashes on purpose, she assumed a pose, "Do what?"

"Very funny Ino, now please, get on the task at hand?" Sakura spoke as she pointed to the slightly confused Gaara, "We do have an enemy here you know."

"You're just jealous I get all the fun."

"Don't antagonize me too much then."

Without warning, sand bullets were fired at the duo, and to his surprise, the three of them disappeared in an instant. The next second had Gaara wondering just why it was so hard to control his body movements.

"Shinranshin no jutsu, success."

Gaara's eyes widened as he stared into the same pale blue eyes as the blonde that had acted like a good-for-nothing fangirl smirked, her expression entirely one of a predator waiting to taste her prey, "Why don't we let the violence begin?"

A huge forceful blow landed itself in Gaara's back as he spit out the saliva in his mouth, his mind still reeling from the attack. The voice of the rosette sounded from behind, "Yes… I agree, it's time to get the show on the road."

Hence, it was to Temari's utmost shock, to be treated to the sight of one Sabaku no Gaara, flung around like a rag doll.

* * *

_**First of all, I would like to thank DarkHeroOrion and Pudgypudge for reading through this chap to check if my action scenes were up to standard. I've been dozing off in that department lately, so a bit of confirmation never hurts. **_

_**Hm. I would say I did okay. The Sarutobi bit was better than the Naruto bit. But meh. If you wondering why Kankuro was missing in the end, it's the same as Canon. I just skipped that bit. **_

**_Also, on a sidenote, the four guardians were only dealing with the first wave. So yes, the Suna and Oto ninja got owned pretty quick. But remember, in war, there's no such thing as just one all-out attack. _**

_**So, sorry for the late update, and thanks for bearing with me, but if you enjoyed this chapter, the next would be even better. After all, it's all out war with this one, along with true kage-level fights, completely unlike those pussy stuff in the manga. **_

_**So review and tell me your thoughts. Until then, cya. XD**_


	39. Playtime's Over

_**A/N: Sorry, I'm having a lot of stuff to deal with about my University entrance. It's a real pain and all that, so yeah, I apologize for the delay. **_

_**Alright, on with the invasion. Fighting scenes again… See, there is a reason I dislike the Chuunin exam arc. **_

_**As for Gaara, surprise, surprise, he will be taken down, just not in the way you think I suppose. Meh, you'll see. **_

_**Reviews are looking very shaky people. A bit more support would be highly appreciated… **_

_**Speaking of which, for those that actually withstood all thirty eight chapters, you have my utmost thanks. Most of you probably realized that my writing style does improve as it progresses, and one of the reasons would be the suggestions you guys make. As I've been told countless times, the use of ellipses and the use of past tense blah blah blah. **_

_**I'll be sure to keep improving, keep trying, and keep producing. So, again, I say, bear with me, till the end of this fic. Heh. XD**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**_

* * *

I Will Believe

Chapter 39: Playtime's Over

"This is getting really annoying." Tsunade growled as she glared at the hunk of earth that reformed as the Shodai Hokage.

The point where she still held back her power was long gone. Right now, it wasn't even the Shodai she found herself looking at. It was just this lump of mud that kept coming back for more. Sure, it had chakra abilities, such as a _very_ annoying Mokuton: Jukai Kotan _(Wood Element: Descent of Nature Realm)_" that was somehow very effectively stopped by Jiraiya and Sarutobi's combined flame attacks.

It was quite alarming, even for one as Tsunade to once again witness the efficiency of these two. At the rate Sarutobi was going, no one would ever think he was old. And Jiraiya, she had thought she had his chakra levels and jutsu execution down to the spot, but she was proved wrong. Gone was the baka that relied merely on brawling plus direct jutsu attacks.

Within his arsenal, there grew a certain cunning quality that seemed almost nostalgic for a second. It was then she realized that the pervert had incorporated his own personality into his fighting style, what with the constant jokes and frequent attempts to flirt. It definitely affected his combat abilities, and not in the bad way either.

For as long as she could remember, the Nidaime Hokage, her grand-uncle, was _the_ best when it came to water jutsu. The Mizukage held _nothing_ against him. Yet now, before her very eyes, Jiraiya was actually overpowering said elemental jutsu, with one that was supposed to be weaker in terms of the elemental cycle.

Water was usually considered superior to fire in every single way, however, here was Jiraiya proving them all wrong. Fire, was the basis of everything, the very creation of earth, the very component that makes up life within this world.

"Katon: Funyou Rekka! _(Blazing Fires of the Sun)_"

Normally, against her grand-uncle's Suiton: Suishoha, she would not have expected this to be the technique to rely on. Against the crashing waves of hundreds of gallons of water, in her mind, it would be futile for mere flames to challenge the might of the seas.

However, said flames were just magnificent. There was no other ways to describe their invasion, their ignorance of the water, their conquering of territory against the very element that they were supposed to be weak against.

Red was surrounded by orange, enveloped in a sheet of white as they progressed, just like the man who created them, as stubborn, as thick-headed, and incidentally, just as powerful. The water barely had the chance to reach Sandaime Hokage, before the entire field was engulfed in an ocean of flames.

It was common fact that water had a very high specific heat capacity, meaning it would take a lot of heat energy before it evaporated. However, when said heat was coming from the source that rivaled that of the very Sun within this universe, it would be easy to say that they stood no chance. Jiraiya had once again shown Orochimaru that knowing a huge variety of jutsu meant nothing, for as of now, the Snake Sannin could simply watch on with wide eyes as Jiraiya erased any evidence of there being even a single drop of water used in this fight.

The heat itself was enough to cause the four shinobi supporting the Shishi Enjin to pant in exhaustion. Tsunade herself, had to instantly run her chakra around her respective circulatory system once to ensure a relevant cool-down to prevent any damage to her internal organs.

Sandaime had Enma surround him in a cage layered with chakra, filtering out the heat. He couldn't help but be proud of his student. He even remembered the countless times where Jiraiya had pestered him to teach this particular jutsu, because it was 'filled with all sorts of awesomeness', or so little Jiraiya had said.

That had been when Jiraiya was five. To think that he would use this particular one to take on Nidaime of all people, it certainly was _nostalgic_. The many times where the aqua-haired man had literally 'rained' on his parade while he was trying to show off were still fresh in his memory.

Tsunade herself had been the one to jeer at Jiraiya, before teaching him the finer aspects of chakra control. That had been their first meeting. An ash-filled face with a flat chest. Naturally, neither had good things to say to each other, at the start anyway.

Jiraiya had finally released his jutsu and stood with his arms crossed, his face in an arrogant smirk as he reiterated the very sentence he had first spoken to Nidaime after he had lost in their 'spar', "I'm _way_ above your league, you old wanker."

That alone brought a smile to the blonde's face as memories of the past filled her mind. She even remembered asking innocently at her less-than-impressed Grand-uncle just what that had meant, and why the spiky-haired kid had snarled that particular phrase at him.

For reasons unsaid, Nidaime simply got purpler in the face. It was quite an interesting sight, given his pale complexion. Shodai simply chuckled as his brother proceeded to show Jiraiya why he was deemed the terror of trainings at that time.

Remembering this only brought her to realize just how much Jiraiya had really improved. In fact, the possibility that he had never stopped improving didn't seem too far-fetched. For normal people, there would be points of their training where they simply couldn't move on until they find their respective catalysts. Jiraiya however, never seemed to have that problem, for each time they sparred, she would always be surprised by his increase in strength.

Perhaps there really should be a classification of hard-working geniuses. The combination was simply deadly, as proven by the white-haired Sannin, and his recent 'disciple', Uzumaki Naruto. That kid was just plain proof of this theory.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she leaned backwards to dodge the punch thrown at her by Shodai Hokage, before spinning furiously, landing a straight kick in his face, sending the Hokage crashing into his brother.

As much as she would have liked to reminisce old times, it would seem that Orochimaru was now attacking with renewed vigor. The level at which Jiraiya was at for Katon ninjutsu had probably shocked the Snake more than he would admit. Truth be told, Tsunade believed that Orochimaru could never hope to defeat Jiraiya in that department. Quality over quantity.

Sparing a glance at her sensei and Jiraiya, she knew that they would have to regroup and come up with a way to stop this soon. They were simply wasting too much time.

* * *

_**With Naruto and co……**_

Quantity over quality.

That had always been Naruto's motto with shinobi stuff. The very scene before him proved it. Gaara, and that sister of his, Temari, were currently gaping at the two thousand replicas staring back at them with blank looks.

Sakura and Ino were perhaps the only ones taking this for granted. After all, this was only Naruto's portion of chakra. If Kyuubi's was added, even ten thousand clones wouldn't be that surprising. Of course, it would be overkill for simply a one-tailed Jinchuuriki, but never the less, the facts remain so.

Naruto stared coldly at the slightly surprised redhead before him. If he still had any thought that he would actually win this fight, he clearly wasn't as smart as Naruto placed him. Rotating his neck and letting his muscles relax temporarily, he taunted, "So, you up for a serious beating?"

Gaara snarled, before yelling, "As if these pathetic replicas could do anything to me! Mother and I shall show you our might!"

Rolling his eyes at the sand that was gathering, Naruto sighed, "Yeah, yeah, your mother. Right. Your mother's a Tanuki, what the hell does that make you?" As though wanting to further antagonize him, Naruto shook his head, "I somehow just knew you were a hybrid but this takes the cake…"

"DIE!!!" The power behind the strike deserved applause. After all, it wasn't everyday where one would be able to control sand to the extent where it seemed like the sea was rushing towards you in one big wave.

"Ryusa Bakuryu! _(Rushing torrents of the Sand)_"

Naruto could tell that this jutsu combined both his natural control for sand and Shukaku's chakra. Very deadly indeed, however…

Narrowing his eyes, he snapped his fingers. Sakura and Ino nodded, before leaping to higher grounds, almost catching Temari off guard as they settled beside her. The poor Suna nin was about to react by shoving her steel fan into them when Sakura simply batted her attack away and told her to shut up and watch.

Not knowing how to react, Temari could only gape as both girls settled themselves on the branches, in extremely relaxed states. Ino was seen plopping her chin onto her hands with a bored expression while Sakura was treating her seat as a swing. The nerve of these two to even think of being so carefree at a time like this was completely beyond Temari's imagination.

However, her answer soon came.

"Fuuton: Rasengan..." The only difference was that all two thousand copies did the same thing.

"It's over!" Gaara roared, eyes bloodshot.

Naruto smirked, "Oh yes… I couldn't agree more."

As one, all the clones flung their Rasengan at the sand. The real Naruto could be seen standing in the centre, a confident smile on his face as he clamped his hands together, his mind reaching out to the chakra of his clones, willing the wind elemental properties to kick in.

Before the sand had time to reach Naruto, the rasengans all merged into one huge aqua sphere, swirling with velocities unimaginable to the naked eye.

"Odama Rasengan! _(Big Jade Swirling Sphere)_"

The name truly did not do the technique justice, for the size of the attack could not simply be described by mere words. It was majestic, towering above the red head as he watched on in horror at the downfall of his prized jutsu, one enough to turn an entire village into desert.

However, the surprise wasn't over, for Naruto was by his side in a second, left arm locked around his head as he brought him to the ground, smashing his face into the dirt as his right hand dug itself into the mud, "NOW!"

Eyes glowing cerulean as the chakra within him surged out, he let out a sharp cry before the entire seal formation surfaced. Temari could only watch with utmost disbelief at the situation before her. On the ground, where Gaara was subdued in the centre, had to be one of the most complicated designs she had ever seen in her entire life.

Glowing a rainbow of colours, the seal slowly began to take effect as Gaara's struggling lessened greatly. Naruto gritted his teeth, "Sorry brother, but that beast within you has gotta learn to shut the fuck up when needed. Sakura, Ino! Your time to shine! Get going! Haku, all yours!"

To Temari's further astonishment, the two girls that were happily residing by her side simply moments ago had disappeared in a flash, their entire posture changed. Sakura appeared at the top of the seal, hands feeding green chakra into it, as though supporting the entire seal array. Ino appeared at the bottom of this diamond shaped formation, hands focused into a triangle, aimed directly at Gaara.

And with no warning at all, a blast of icicle flew past her, crashing into Gaara, earning a painful roar form the Jinchuuriki, before molding and successfully locking his position into the seal. Naruto didn't even seem surprised by the attack and kept his hold on Gaara just in case.

It was then, where a girl with porcelain skin appeared in the place.

"I apologize for being late Naruto-sama, Zabuza-sama needed a little help." Her voice was calm and collected, as though all of this were within their expectations.

Naruto snorted, "Him? Need help? With what? Killing people? And Haku, don't do sama routine. I get annoyed, and now's not the time for it."

"Hai, Naruto-kun." With wasting any more time, she instantly took reign of the 'prisoner' and with her ice abilities, prevented Gaara from even moving so much as an inch.

Thinking back to the times they've 'practiced' the execution of this seal, Naruto could safely say that without unseen surprises, the stabilization of Gaara's deranged state wouldn't take too long at all.

The addition of Haku's ice abilities was something Naruto had decided on last minute. He had been searching for a way to ensure that while he was drawing out Kyuubi's chakra to counteract Shukaku's. It then occurred to him that Haku would be the best bet, for not only was the ice aligned with the elemental cycle as the pivot between wind and fire.

After checking with the Hokage and confirming that Haku could be spared for this tiny moment before she was sent back to help Zabuza chop up any invaders that the Shi Fukei missed. Sakura and Ino were overjoyed to work with Haku once again, because from a few of the missions Team Six had with the ice user, they found out that their teamwork required absolutely no hints. It was all instincts, what with Ino's mind reading abilities and Naruto's feral survival tactics. Sakura was the sensible logical one along with Haku, the forever calm and collected. It was with great success that Naruto had decided to take the risk in 'borrowing' Haku from Zabuza for a while. That old man was strangely protective of his surrogate daughter…

It wasn't like Naruto was going to seduce her or anything…

Apparently, Haku was amused by that statement and replied that she wouldn't mind if the guy was Naruto.

For some reason, that brought chills up his spine as Zabuza stared at him like a fish waiting to be guttered. Perhaps this was the power fathers gained when their precious daughters were facing the crisis of their lives.

Shaking his head wryly as his mind wandered off topic, Naruto settled down slightly as he formed the seals required.

He had been the one to design it, with much help from Jiraiya, and together, the two of them had spent many nights, deciding what the exact proportion of elements should be administered to completely sedate Gaara's crazed state.

It was then where Naruto decided that Haku would be the 'secret weapon'. So far, not many shinobi outside of Konohagakure realized that the once fake 'hunter-nin' of Kirigakure was currently residing in Hi no Kuni. Hence, the very _thought_ of there being a pure water user was unthinkable, another reason why Sunagakure agreed to the invasion.

Water was sand's true enemy, as Gaara was currently finding out. His control of sand went awry as Haku's ice locked him in place, either sticking the sand molecules together, or seeping within them and disrupting the forces of the bonds. The extreme density was lost within moments, much less the movement of it.

Ino had been the key in this operation, where she was to act nonchalant, while inwardly trying to keep reach out to Haku's mind, passing on hints and signals as to when she could start moving. Sakura was maintaining a thin chakra shield around them when they were beside Temari, hence the Suna blonde had been unable to find out their secret.

"Fuinjutsu: Fuja Seiaku! _(Seal Technique: Withdrawal of Evil)_"

It was time; this was the key moment of their resistance of the invasion. If this succeeded, that would mean they had one serious opposition neutralized.

All three girls' eyes glowed as they too felt their chakra rage within them.

The huge pillar of chakra that rose from the forest was the only warning for the shinobi before the shockwave rushed into them. Konoha forces had long been informed of this and easily took precautions, however, enemy forces were not as lucky as they were either forced backwards or pushed off balance, resulting in multiple injuries and deaths.

Zabuza smirked as he sliced off yet another enemy's limb, "Heh, looks like they did after all."

Aoba nodded, "Yes, now it's out turn."

The ex-Mist missing-nin hefted his zanbato onto his shoulder, before motioning to his comrades. Heh, even now, it felt funny to be working alongside people, what's more, people other than Haku who actually _trusted_ his command. Perhaps he really did miss out on a lot whilst being on the run. This was something he was slowly getting familiar with, and he didn't intend on losing it any time soon.

At his signal, all of the Konoha forces retreated leaving Aoba and Zabuza, the two main commanding jonin in the middle.

"Kirigakure no jutsu." The famed fog spread throughout the area, causing all the Suna and Oto shinobi to tense as they realized the situation they were subjected to.

Aoba raised his hand, crows already emerging from his body as he grinned, "Shall we?"

Zabuza's feral grin was the answer, "_Absolutely_."

The slaughter had begun.

* * *

_**With Sarutobi and co……**_

Jiraiya smirked as he felt the familiar surge of chakra. The sealing process had started without a doubt. The only problem was whether or not it could finish in time. The Shukaku was extremely unstable, and the elements could only take effect for so long. Hence, if for some reason Gaara broke free…

"Jiraiya!"

Barely dodging the punch sent his way, the white-haired Sannin gave Tsunade a nod in thanks for her reminder, before becoming serious once again in his battle.

It was time to settle things. He didn't want Naruto to get all curious and come looking for them, nor did he want Ryusei and the others to intervene. Orochimaru was the key, and once he was broken, the invasion would stop.

Sarutobi wasn't having a better time either. His age was finally catching up to him as he had to now focus mainly on evading instead of concentrating on the offense, for Orochimaru's skill with Kusanagi was not to be doubted. He always had a certain flair with that blade and because of its unreal edge, Sarutobi didn't quite dare to clash right on with it. Enma definitely did not appreciate having to withstand that chilling sensation whenever they met. It gave off a disgusting scent of death, overpowering even, and though his body was that of the densest steel, it didn't reassure the duo any more than having to face Orochimaru empty handed.

Tsunade definitely had the upper hand by now, her chakra control allowing her to come out on top over Shodai Hokage. By constantly disrupting the chakra pathways, there was no way for him to activate jutsu, much less his devastating arsenal of the special wood element.

"HARGH!" Once again, her fist lodged itself in the side of his body, sending him crashing into the roof. Her panting breaths were the only signs of fatigue, and at this rate, she could probably hang on for another thirty minutes or so. But they just kept coming back! No matter how they destroyed these mud-clad puppets, they would always return at full force. Never would she have thought that her offense would be rendered useless in such a way.

Jiraiya too, was facing the same trouble. It was an all-out battle in ninjutsu, and at times, fuinjutsu even, only it was the Toad sannin controlling the tide of the battle in that aspect.

"I think I've had enough. What say you Hime?"

"As long as you can get those things to stop returning, I don't _care_!"

"Oh, so you knew I was going to blackmail you with my methods?"

"_Yes_."

"Sweet!"

Their banter seemed ever so easy as they continued to fight with the dead, outclassing them with slight leads that were enough to ensure their victory.

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow as Jiraiya began to form seals for a specific jutsu.

"What the… I've never seen any sequence like it… Could it be?"

Orochimaru didn't even pay attention his ex-teammate, deeming him ineffective in the tides of this combat, "Well sensei, how about you just give up, hm?"

Understanding the glance that Jiraiya sent him, Sarutobi decided that further taunts were necessary.

"Arrogant as ever, Orochimaru. Alas, it is that very quality that shall lead you to your doom."

The Snake Sannin was taken aback as Sarutobi willingly rammed Enma into his blade, forcing him backwards, moving him away from Tsunade and Jiraiya.

Narrowing his eyes, he thought furiously as to what aces they might have up their sleeves. However, given recent information, Tsunade had been off gambling and getting drunk everywhere, with that pathetic apprentice and stupid pig of hers. Jiraiya was no better, peeking on the women's side of hot springs all over the world, writing those smut novels of his while maintaining his spy network. Just what could they accomplish?

Orochimaru smirked, "Very well Sensei, I yearn to see your motive for moving me away."

Sarutobi's eyes gleamed, "Oh yes, you will."

It wasn't long before two consecutive blasts of chakra surges were felt.

One was from within the barrier, a few feet behind Sarutobi.

The other was outside the barrier, coming from the forests.

Tsunade could barely withhold her surprise at the new appearance of Jiraiya, where his face resembled that of a Toad almost, his chakra levels off the charts, complete unlike the Jiraiya a few moments ago. Judging by his harsh breathing, the control of the chakra was a bit off and his internal organs were suffering slightly under the pressure.

She heard him mumble, "Damn it, the seal got interrupted. Alright, I'm going to have to finish this quick. Naruto needs help."

And that was it, he was gone. There was nothing to signify his movement, only the sounds of grinding behind her caught her attention.

Turning around, she felt her jaw loosen slightly as she gaped at the scene before her.

Jiraiya was in the air, hands held together loosely, gathering an insane amount of chakra, as he formed that very familiar swirling sphere, compressing it, before releasing the power, allowing it to expand, letting the cohesive properties of chakra do their job.

Before long, the two puppets of the dead were faced with a gigantic aqua chakra sphere. No words were exchanged as the Toad-Jiraiya seared forward, stretching his palm out, ramming the jutsu into the two bodies, grinding them into the roof, forming a huge hurricane of energy as scrapes of them were removed every second.

Tsunade could no longer hold in her surprise as she gasped once more, this time because of the unconscious bodies falling revealed under the mud. It was the two teenage oto nins that took part in the Chuunin exam!

Realization dawned on her that Jiraiya had completely, forcefully severed the link on the soul by forcefully removing the mental presence of the two Hokages. He had completely overpowered their existence, the chakra lacing themselves around the mud, peeling it off as the chakra invaded the mind of the bodies, surging and kick-starting their brains once again, allowing the original bodies to regain control of themselves.

Edo tensei was a forbidden jutsu because sacrifices were needed. The sacrifice was a living body for the dead soul to imprint itself on, meaning the living person would lose all meaning of existence, handing over control to the dead, letting him or her do as it was commanded.

Jiraiya, as a master of fuinjutsu, saw through that immediately, and decided the only way to break Orochimaru's control on the two Hokage was to remove the seals etched into their minds by those slips of paper he placed at the start.

The chakra had easily burnt off the marks and hence, Shodai and Nidaime regained their thoughts.

"Very well done, Jirai-gaki."

"Could do better with the appearance though."

Tsunade could only stare on in shock as she came face to face with the _souls_ of her grandfather and grand-uncle. The battered bodies on the ground were barely breathing, however, it was enough to show that indeed, the link had been severed. The dead and the living were separated, a feat that Orochimaru would never have thought possible.

"I'm impressed by your control Jirai-gaki. Being a sennin sure has its benefits."

"I see Saru is taking care of that young man. Very well, we shall be going now."

"Wait!" Tsunade cried before realizing that she did. She had no idea what to say, but somehow, just watching her two relatives go just like that felt wrong. Her heart ached as they smiled as one, "It's okay Hime. We've been dead for a long time, and will remain that way. Don't worry, we are not alone, and most importantly of all…"

Her grandfather's ghostly hand gently caressed her face, "Neither are you."

The aqua haired Nidaime snorted, "You better take good care of her Jirai-gaki, or I'll have your head when you come visit."

Toad-Jiraiya merely nodded, before bowing his head, "I apologize for my actions and rudeness. Forgive me, Shodai-sama, Nidaime-sama!"

The two souls smiled warmly, "All is well. Take care now…"

And before their very eyes, Shodai and Nidaime Hokage returned back to the realm of the dead, disappearing in a flash of sparks.

Tsunade stood there, numb to all that's going on around her. What happened in the last five minutes was simply too shocking for her mind to comprehend. Jiraiya's sudden burst, the success of his jutsu, the removal of the kinjutsu imprint…

Eyes widening, she looked back at Jiraiya, only to find him clutching at his chest, panting harshly as he spit out some blood, "Jiraiya!"

Said Toad Sannin looked weak as he grimaced, "Damn it, that was too close. I'm never trying this without Pa and Ma by my side." He had already reverted back to his normal appearance, and was struggling to stand up.

"What are you doing? Lie down, let me heal you."

"No, there isn't time; Naruto needs my help to stabilize… argh!" Coughing up yet another gulp of blood, Jiraiya took a few breaths, before trying once again to move. The sensation of the sudden release in Natural energy was definitely unpleasant.

"Are you kidding? You're in no use to him in this state!"

"Don't you understand?! The Ichibi might be breaking loose this moment!" He yelled back, the worry and anxiety evident in his eyes.

"Don't _you_ understand that I don't want to see you die!" She roared back, just as loudly, tears trickling down her cheeks as she forced him to lie down, her body on his as she stared right into his eyes.

"Hime…" Jiraiya muttered as the guilt hit him. "Damnit, don't cry. I'm sorry, okay?"

Tsunade didn't reply, but merely gazed at him, her eyes filled with sorrow, "I've just realized how much I do not know about you Jiraiya…"

The Toad Sannin stiffened and was about to get up, before Tsunade shook her head, "I won't ask right now. But eventually, you'll have to tell me just why you would subject yourself to that kind of jutsu. All I need you to do is tell me, was that Senjutsu?"

Jiraiya turned his head sideways, before nodding, "Yeah."

Taking in a deep breath, she cursed, "You baka!"

Laughing bitterly, Jiraiya shrugged, "It's not that bad."

"How could you – "

"Look, Hime. I made a choice. I have to live with it. Now, either you heal me and let me go kick that snake's ass so that I can go help Naruto, or you can keep me here and we all perish. Your call."

Snarling, Tsunade bashed him on the head, "This isn't over."

Raising her hand, she gather green chakra within her palms, before placing them gently on Jiraiya's chest, "It's gonna hurt."

"Keh, I'm the master of pai – " Before he could finish that sentence, the agony rose within him, eliciting a sharp yell from him as the bones reset themselves, the torn ligaments reforming and all the dead cells revived.

"Warned you."

"……"

"Now, be a good boy and stay down for the rest of this fight. Orochimaru is _mine_."

"……"

"You have on a lovely expression, Jiraiya. Isn't it wonderful that you can't speak for the moment?"

"……" His expression was furious as Tsunade gave him a smug look.

Her voice then grew gentle as she soothingly caressed his cheek, "You've done enough for now. It's my turn to prove my worth."

Jiraiya stopped his struggling and stared at Tsunade incredulously.

"Oh? You think I can't take him?"

His look of disbelief said it all.

"I _am_ the Slug Sannin you know."

"As much as I love to see you to flirt, can one of you help me out over here?!" Sarutobi growled as he had to force Orochimaru in weapon deadlock once more, preventing the Snake Sannin from reaching the injured Jiraiya.

"You! How did you ruin my jutsu!" His snarl was venomous as rage filled his entire being, "That's it. I've had enough fooling around with you people!"

Just as he was about to launch his jutsu, it was with unreal speed that a punch lodged itself once again in his cheek, shattering his jawbone once again, leaving him writhing in pain on the ground.

Sarutobi could only stare on in amazement at the speed, efficiency, and most importantly of all, _grace_ at which Tsunade had moved. That reminded him too much of the past, the strong, elegant Hime of Konoha… Senju Tsunade…

Face void of all emotion, Tsunade simply cracked her knuckles, "I agree, Orochimaru…" With a condescending stare at the snake-man glaring back at her, she whispered, "Play time's over."

* * *

_**Heh, I purposely left off what happened to Gaara and Naruto. It's obvious something went wrong, and you'll find out what happened next chap. **_

_**Hopefully, this chapter made sense as to how Edo Tensei was broken apart. If not, well, just ask me through a review or something. **_

_**Yes, that was a tiny TsuJirai moment, don't make too much of it. They're not the focus of this fic anyway.**_

_**As for the NaruFemHaku interactions, I'm not sure what to make of it. This is a NaruSakuIno fic, that's all you have to remember. **_

_**Well then, that sums things up. Review and tell me your thoughts. **_

_**Hope you've enjoyed this, c'ya! XD**_


	40. True Power

_**A/N: A bit late with the update, but Uni is being very troublesome. Not quite used to all this after having such a long break. Oh well, it's gonna happen eventually I suppose. **_

_**Anyway, back on track. Follow up to last chap, what happened with Gaara's sealing, maybe more on Tsunade's fight and … I don't know, I'm going with the flow here. **_

_**P.S. Holy shiz!! I'm at chap forty!!! O.O **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 40: True Power

"That the last of them?" Ryusei asked as he unleashed yet another wave of fire onto the invaders, effectively reducing more than a few of them to ashes.

"Hai! Kamio-sama, there are no signs of any reinforcements."

"Sweet. Send message to the others. I'm leaving this post to you guys, stay sharp."

"Understood!" The shinobi gave a quick salute before activating shunshin to return to his post.

Picking up speed, the leader of the Shi Fukei dashed towards the centre of Konoha, ready to help out wherever he could. Passing Zabuza, he gave the ex-mist missing nin a wide smirk as he watched the man go to work. Though renowned as a master of silent killing, Zabuza was no pushover when it came to simple one-on-one brawls. His overpowering strength because of his build was definitely a pain for his enemies.

Raising an eyebrow at Aoba's fighting style, he wondered why the special jonin never registered for ANBU. Sneaky and unpredictable, with a flair of his own. But then again, ANBU wasn't really the glorious team everyone made it to be, so perhaps it was good that he remained at his rank.

Dodging a stray kunai sent his way, flames formed within his right palm as he struck down two more Suna shinobi. Sensing multiple blasts of chakra from various places, he couldn't help but frown. He had faith in Naruto's skills, but as of now, it would seem that something had gone wrong with the sealing process. The chakra haze around the forest was proof of that.

However, the main thing that caught his eye was the huge red block of chakra on the roof of the Exam Arena. Judging from the huge cracks in the barrier, there was no doubt that Tsunade and Jiraiya were there already.

"Ryusei!"

Turning his head, he smiled as Minagi and Kireki landed beside him. It would seem that everything did go according to plan.

"Enemies?"

"Exterminated." Minagi smirked with a wide grin.

"Injuries?"

"A few here and there, but nothing mortally devastating." Kireki gave a slight nod.

"Yourselves?"

With each question, he had taken a step closer to the two women, and at this last one, he had laced his arms around their waists as he whispered in their ears, drawing simultaneous blushes from them. Laughing at their indignant expressions at being teased, Ryusei gave a mockingly serious nod, "I've still got it."

It didn't take long for two fists to bash him on either side.

"Now that, ladies, was uncalled for."

"Shut up, perv."

"Hey, I resent that."

Minagi rolled her eyes as she eyed the barrier, "You aren't going to do anything about that?"

Ryusei shrugged, "Do I look like I'm going to do anything?" Minagi looked at him suspiciously, before suddenly feeling a huge burst of chakra flowing off him.

Kireki's eyes widened, "Wait, you aren't going to attempt to – "

"You're too smart Kire-chan." The brunet cut in as he formed a ram seal, "It's time Orochimaru understands what it means to fight fire _with fire_."

* * *

_**With Naruto and co…...**_

The sealing was going according to plan. It was perfect, everything was fine. No mistakes, no accidental errors, nothing out of the ordinary. Sakura was controlling the chakra flow extremely well, Ino and Haku were succeeding in holding down Gaara, and there wasn't anybody around that could disrupt this ritual.

Of course, all of the above should have warned Naruto that something was definitely going to go wrong. A very big something.

"What are you doing to my brother?!" Temari had yelled.

Normally, Naruto wouldn't even care about this woman, yet there was this slight problem.

"T-temari, g-get out of t-the way…" Gaara had muttered, his struggles getting more violent.

The sandy blonde gritted her teeth, "Oh hell no, Gaara. Even if you kill me after this, I'm still gonna stay here." Brandishing her fan, she sent her strongest wind attack at the barrier that Sakura had set up.

Frowning at Sakura's grimace, Naruto closed his eyes and continued regulating the chakra flow. Trusting the rosette, he continued his internal fight with Shukaku. That little raccoon was simply refusing to cooperate, though it wasn't hard to see why. Apparently, the demon figured that losing his control over the host would mean being less 'fun', and with Kyuubi's host of all Jinchuuriki subduing him, it made that particular 'crazed' ego of his feel challenged.

_Very_ challenged.

And that… wasn't good at all.

Haku was doing a great job, her kekkei genkai abilities keeping Gaara occupied while Naruto carried out the sealing process. Ino with her mind abilities had to split her mental capacity into two, half managing the barrier with Sakura, the other half trying to cage the erratic presence of Shukaku. The chakra from Kyuubi had somewhat 'mollified' the thrashes, however, seeing how most of it was going into the seal, the effect wasn't too effective, hence the need for Ino.

There was one slight mistake Naruto made in all this, and that, combined with a completely unpredictable circumstance involving the Suna siblings caused this entire plan to go out in an uproar.

Unknown to everyone, Gaara wasn't a completely blood thirsty killing machine everyone thought he was. Granted, he enjoyed lavishing in his power while he crushed others, but even so, he had withstood the mental assaults from Shukaku ever since he was young. He had become aloof and calm at all times, seeing how he had simply experienced too much bitterness in his life for him to even bother becoming agitated over anything.

On missions, in his mind, the enemy was simply an object that had to be eliminated. There was nothing 'fun' about killing people. The fun part was torturing, but the actual act was a bore. Most efficient way was to crush them, and hence that was what he did. He relished in the fear from his targets before their death, because he himself hadn't felt it for a long time. With his ultimate defense, there was simply no one that could even come to match his strength. Grim satisfaction of the exceedingly tiny possibility of him being killed ever again soon became boredom.

His relationship with his siblings was also a weird one. Kankuro seemed to get the idea that if he made even one wrong move when he was in the vicinity, his life would be in mortal peril. Unfortunately, Gaara simply couldn't care less. He simply treated him as another comrade, one that was of some use in assisting him during missions. Temari however, was slightly different.

The female had on multiple occasions exclaimed that all she wanted to do was care for him. The concept of sisterly affection was lost on him as his mind simply did not comprehend the need for one such as her to pay extra attention to one such as him. Out of all three, Gaara had considered her the purest, one that by logic, should not even give a damn about a tainted presence such as him.

Temari had actually managed to smack him a few times when he gave this reasoning, to the absolute horror of Kankuro, and though he didn't say it, till this day, he did not understand why he didn't kill off the blonde when she attempted the act where he swore no one would ever do to him again.

Being a killer apparently meant being lazy, and perhaps that was why Gaara let it be. He simply couldn't care. All he had to know was that Gaara was his sister, and sister meant that she was on his side, hence someone who would be of help to him, meaning no reason to kill. There was a distinct difference as to how he would treat comrades and enemies. Pity none of the 'bad guys' lived to tell the tale.

It was a complicated matter, where his own mental state revolved around quite a twisted concept, one that might seem completely weird to others, but made perfect sense to himself. That was enough for the Jinchuuriki however, and it was this particular 'offset' in deduction of relationships by Naruto that began the chaos of the sealing procedure.

Temari's wind attacks had no effect on the barrier, succeeding only in disrupting both Sakura and Ino's concentration slightly, but nothing they couldn't handle. However, the chakra barrier did have one designated function, and that was to _repel_ foreign hostile chakra. The Suna blonde soon found herself bombarded by the very wind she had sent searing at the Konoha shinobi.

Her screams of pain weren't pretty, to say the least. It was then that Sakura detected a huge influx of chakra within the seal. Frowning, she attempted to regulate the flow just like she had been doing, however, the amount just kept growing, larger and larger, until the point where even _her_ control felt shaky withstanding such a huge amount. Normally, she could handle Kyuubi's chakra from Naruto just fine, seeing how Kyuubi had recognized both Ino and her as familiars and because of their constant contact with Naruto, the normal 'side' effects of using that chakra was lost on them.

It was then that Sakura realized what was going on. Gaara was still trying to struggle, but somehow, it seemed that he had subconsciously begun to insert his own demonic chakra into the seal array without himself realizing. The probability that the chakra was leaking as he thrashed was very high, and judging from Ino's tired expression, the mental subduing of Gaara proved to be quite the task.

Naruto, unfortunately, made the mistake of simply concentrating on his input in the seal, not picking up on the difficulties Sakura and Ino were having. Simply put, the lack of experience cost them on this one. It was their first time even attempting something as complex as this.

It wasn't long before the ground began shaking with fervor, the seal arrangement glowing at inappropriate times, in all sorts of different colours. Naruto's eyes widened as he realized it was the most obvious sign of seal instability. Thinking that somehow, Gaara's influence on the seal might have overpowered his, he sent more chakra into the seal by instinct, indirectly causing Sakura to grimace even more, finding the toll on her control a tad more taxing. Ino, on the other hand, was dealing with a very enraged Gaara, the mind process becoming completely hectic and random, making her wonder just what had caused this sudden increase in brain activity.

Haku could only gasp as her ice was forcefully _blown_ apart, before sand engulfed her very being. In a flash, Sakura and Ino were blasted backwards by the untimely chakra backlash of the disturbance the seal had undergone, and were temporarily incapacitated.

A further transformed Gaara appeared before her very eyes, golden beads surrounded by a fat wad of sand seemed to smirk evilly at her very existence, before a deathly whisper echoed from his mouth, "Sabaku Soso! _(Desert Funeral)_"

Reacting purely on her experiences as a shinobi and a woman's sixth sense, summoning all her chakra, she barely managed to create a very thin layer of ice from the pores of her skin, generated by the output of ice-cold chakra from her tenketsu condensing the little amount of water vapour in the air to somewhat protect her from this attack.

However, it was futile, for the moment Gaara clenched his fist, the pressure from the sand simply overwhelmed her from all sides. The ice successfully held for but a few seconds, before shattering, leaving her completely defenseless.

However, her danger went as quickly as it came. The furious roar of "Kaen Rin" _(Blaze Wheel)_ was all she heard before the sand surrounding her erupted into a shower of grains. Collapsing at the sudden lack of support, Haku then found herself in Naruto's arms, with the blond wasting no time in taking his next course of action.

"Damn it, are you alright Haku?"

"H-hai…"

"This is bad, this is _real_ bad." The blond muttered as he shook his head, "Guess it comes down to this." Forming a ram seal just as Gaara once again extended a hand of sand to prevent their escape, he muttered, "Jibaku! _(Self-destruct!)_"

The previously flashing seal was suddenly enveloped in a pillar of light, with the unstable chakra finally gaining freedom as they were released in the easiest way – expulsion of energy. The red-haired suna Jinchuuriki had but a moment to realize his demise before the entire area blew up from below him.

The sounds of the detonation reverberated in their ears as Naruto barely managed to leap to safety, holding Haku tightly in his arms, his breathing ragged, "That was too close for comfort."

The ice-wielding Kunoichi could barely contain her, well, _awe_ at being rescued in such a manner. It wouldn't be too harsh to say that death was extremely close to her in the past minute, and for him to snatch her from the claws of the devil himself really spoke volumes. Every woman had once dreamed of a knight in shining armor. Haku was no exception, and as such, her respect for Naruto grew once again. Over and over, Uzumaki Naruto had proved to Haku that he was not simply a twelve year old, going on thirteen. This young shinobi might be goofy and all that, but when he was serious, it was truly a sight to behold. _This_ was one of those times.

"Haku, I need you to find Sakura and Ino, get them to regroup and if possible, I would like you guys to leave this area." His tone held no room for argument, and Haku understood, for the situation at hand had really gone from bad to worse. A second-stage transformation by Gaara was going to be a lot more difficult to contain, and judging from the shrieks of pain back there, it would seem that the blast merely served to agitate it and possibly push it to the brink of the third-stage evolution. It wouldn't be a surprise if Shukaku decided to take control and come out to 'play'.

"I only need one thing from you Haku, and that's a promise. Promise me that you will be safe, as will they. Can you do that?" His eyes were focused solely on the blurry figure amongst all that sand spraying everywhere. His mind was currently running over all the possible ways to handle this maniac, and to be honest, chances of success didn't look too bright.

Slowly getting up, Haku didn't say anything, instead, she gently laced her arms around Naruto's waist and placed her forehead onto his sun-kissed hair. Seeing how she was taller, Naruto felt an extreme sense of déjà vu where Kireki used to do that to comfort him. With a soft smile, she whispered, "Calm down. It's alright."

For a second, his muscles tensed, before a sigh was heard from him, followed by a considerable amount of relaxing. A slight nod was his reply, "Good. I never let down those precious to me. Neither will you." Giving him one last ruffling of hair, she shunshin-ed off, her last words echoing in his ears, "Believe in yourself, and believe in us, and we shall pull through."

Naruto started for a moment, a smirk rose to his lips. A small chuckle soon became full blown laughter, signifying that the blond was now completely at ease, something that he hadn't been for quite awhile, given the severity of these events.

_Believe huh? Well, that shouldn't be too hard…_

Not even blinking, Naruto side-stepped the huge blast of sand aimed at him by an even more crazed Gaara, whose expression of blood thirst simply did not go well with that chubby body of his. It would appear that the sound was indeed acting as an armor, but because of that, his speed was impeded by quiet a lot.

A narrowing of eyes was all the suna nin witnessed, before he was thrust into a world of hurt.

_Never mess with me when it comes to speed._

_Never.

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_

_**With Haku……**_

Understanding her duty, the blue-clad Kunoichi set about her task immediately, locating for the rosette and blonde at an efficient speed. It didn't take very long before she assisted them both to an area slightly further away, where they both tried to regain their bearings are being forced backwards by the upset of chakra just now.

"Urgh, I've got a killer headache…"

"Let's just not talk… okay? The ringing…"

Both teenage girls seemed to have suffered more than both Haku and Naruto, seeing how they were 'maintaining' aspects of the seal process whereas the other two simply had to focus on simple tasks like inputting and restraining. It was no surprise that both females felt more than a little disoriented.

"Sakura, Ino, we don't have much time. If the suna subject was to find was at this point, we would be slaughtered." Haku whispered in a tense tone.

The rosette blinked, "Did it…?"

Haku nodded gravely, "Yeah. It's now at second stage."

Sakura cursed and smacked her forehead, "If only I held on!"

Ino shook her head, finally clearing the aftermath out of her mind, "It's not just you, for some reason, that guy just began to power up. I don't even understand how one could attempt that while being held down both mentally and physically, but apparently it's possible. We've underestimated him." The blonde ended on a grim note as she cupped her face with her hands.

Haku continued, "Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, that is the truth. Hence, as of this moment, Naruto is initiating phase three."

Eyes widening, Ino gritted her teeth, "_What?_"

Sakura could only close her eyes and hit her head against the trunk of the tree she was leaning against, "That _baka_!"

Haku too, held remorse in her eyes, "I feel your helplessness as well, however, this is the situation. It's up to Naruto. Our roles in this battle have now changed. Are we clear?"

Sakura took in a deep breath, before giving a clear nod, "Crystal."

"He'll be okay. He better be." Ino mumbled as she rose to her feet, flexing her muscles to check for any physical damage she might have sustained.

Haku smiled gently, "I see you two believe in him."

"Please Haku, surely you can't possibly insinuate that Naruto would _lose_ to that guy?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, amused, "I don't care how insane that Gaara person is, but one tail against nine? No contest."

"It's more like four, forehead."

"Pft, stuff it piggy."

With grins on all their faces, it would seem that they were ready. They all knew the banter was simply to prevent their nervousness from showing, but even so, they had to go. With their current power level, taking on Gaara would simply mean being canon fodder. They were mere hindrance, and that was what made Sakura and Ino feel more hurt than anything. But alas, now was not the time to dwell on such a thing.

Schooling their facial features into one of indifference, the three Kunoichi split up, with Haku dashing back to the centre of Konoha to assist in the eradication of the invaders. The last two members of team six however, were on a mission quite different to their usual ones.

The act of healing life instead of extinguishing it was enough to bring a determined smile to their faces.

_You better win Naruto, or I'll kick your ass all the way to Moon country…_

_We're counting on you Naruto…_

_**With Naruto……**_

He had no idea what this guy was thinking, nor did he understand why the sudden increase in power occurred at such a critical moment, but as of now, none of that mattered anymore.

Sakura and Ino were evacuated by Haku, and now, there was no need to hold back. No restriction of power was required against a fellow Jinchuuriki. For the first time in the fight, Gaara witnessed Naruto smirk like that. It wasn't the same as the 'polite, happy' smile the blond seemed to don at all times. No, this was different.

_Very _different.

For one, the red chakra bubbling out of his torso, before enveloping his body was the first sign of an immense chakra build up. In a flash, Naruto seemed to be engulfed by a crimson aura, with killing intent unleashed without mercy, facial features growing ever so animalistic, hands morphing into claws, teeth into fangs, whisker-marks becoming more like battle scars of the most feral quality. It was definitely a sight to behold.

What astonished Gaara the most however, was the three blood-red tails waving in the air, as though taunting him to have a go at the blond standing before him. There was no longer any doubt. This Uzumaki Naruto, too, was a Jinchuuriki, and by the looks of it, a _much_ more powerful one than he was.

The amount of raw power was simply ridiculous, for even in his transformed state, Gaara felt the pressure building in on all sides. His entire being shuddered merely by staring into those crimson slits, and as time went, he found it even harder to maintain said eye contact.

The crimson-clad Naruto bent his arms in slightly, before arching his back and letting loose a thunderous roar, the wind rising as his arms spread to the sides, ramming into the trees around him, with the weaker ones being uprooted on the spot.

Years from now, Sabaku no Gaara would still feel a cold shiver down his spine whenever he witnessed this particular form of Naruto. It was filled with so much malicious intent that even the crazed Shukaku fell silent to the display of sheer strength.

One second he was there, and the next, he wasn't.

"**Rasengan!**" A blue orb was smashed right into his cheek without any obstruction, the sand not even registering the fact that an attack was coming, and just as Gaara was sent swirling into the tree, "**Kaen Rin!**"

The fire spirals caught him dead in the stomach, suffocating him temporarily as the force from the previous strike combined with this one shattered the defense of his sand armor.

Before he could even have a chance to cough up blood, the final strike was already upon him, "**Mugen Senkuu!**" The final attack used to penetrate his ultimate defense was used once again, with the waves of chakra crashing into each other, before reverberating in a confined space that was Gaara's body, tunneling through him as though his flesh was hollow, vibrating within his being as the frequency of the chakra generated rumbling echoes to show the pure intensity of the wind elemental Naruto possessed.

In three moves, Gaara lay defeated at the foot of a tree, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to do _anything_ as Naruto slowly walked towards him with that smug smirk of his glued to his face.

_No, this cannot be!_

The redhead struggled to get up, only for Naruto to grab his head, and ram it right into the tree trunk, "**Not so strong now, are you?**"

Flicking his wrist, the red-headed Suna nin was thrown across the field, landing roughly on the ground. Naruto simply gave him a haughty glance, "**What is this? This is the best you have to offer? Please don't make me laugh.**" It would seem the three tails of Kyuubi had brought out a sadistic streak within him that he had kept hidden most of the time.

It just went to show that the ones you should really watch out for are the happy and polite ones.

Shukaku too was getting desperate, and wanted out of his host _now._ He wasn't about to get vanquished by Kyuubi once more. Not after having this much fun.

Hence, it was with surprise when Gaara felt himself heading for the third stage transformation even out him being asleep.

That, apparently, was exactly what Naruto wanted, for just as the redhead underwent his morph half way, Naruto had already appeared by his side driving yet another Rasengan right at his skull, crumbling the sand that was about to gather in one blow.

The Suna Jinchuuriki could not believe his eyes as his form was de-stabilized that easily. Trying once again, he found himself flung around like a rag doll, for the lack of better descriptions, where Naruto would always, _somehow_, impede his process of summoning up demonic chakra to attain the final, true form of Shukaku.

The frustration was getting to him, for it seemed as if the blond wasn't even trying. This could not be happening!

"My existence! I shall not have you erase it!" His eyes were now bloodshot, glaring with all his might at Naruto as he tried to fend off the seemingly casual attacks coming from the blond.

"**Your existence means nothing to me. Give up this petty game and get the big guy to come out.**" Naruto drawled as he continued practicing with this 'punching bag'.

That did it. Having enough of this farce, Gaara gritted his teeth and summoned up all his remaining chakra, causing his sand to explode outwards, trying to force Naruto away from him, yet it would seem that the blond had a counter for this type of thing.

"**Nuh-uh, not that easy I'm afraid.** **Kaen Furea! **_(Blaze Flare)_" The sand that was supposed to render him helpless did nothing except melt before his fiery flames. It was there, where Gaara finally felt signs of _exhaustion_ of chakra where his knees began to shake. Just as he was about to fall, all three chakra tails of Naruto caught him, before holding him up before the blond, who was sporting a very cruel smirk.

"**Now, why don't we try this again?**"

Fire in the left, wind in the right, Kaen Rin and Rasengan appeared for them both to see, and in one swift move, Naruto had combined them, his crimson orbs locked on to Gaara all the while, taunting him to make a comeback, "**As always, let's do it the hard way.** **Rengoku Bakuha!**"

Slamming the double-elemental attack, Gaara let out an ear-piercing scream that echoed throughout the lonely forest.

It was all Temari could do to not faint on the spot.

Never before had she even _considered_ the fact that Gaara was capable of making such a noise.

One filled with pain, agony and desperation.

* * *

_**Alright, short chapter. Sorry again. But yeah, the reason as to why Gaara's getting owned should be quite clear. It's one against three, in tails. No contest, really. And don't worry, big Shukaku will come out to play, just not in the way canon did it. **_

_**Oh and peepz, I have a new poll up. Read up my profile before taking a vote. Thanks guys. **_

_**Now, review and tell me what you thought about it. Cheers. **_


	41. Bonds Anew

_**A/N: Sorry for the late update guys. Unit has been extremely busy and the tests caught me off guard slightly. You know how lazy I can get…**_

_**Seeing how the previous note I wrote wouldn't apply here, this is the new version. Fell sick as a few of you guys know, and now I'm trying to get back on track. Exams start in two weeks, so update speed won't really pick up. In July, hopefully, I can get a gd break and start really patching up my fics and trying to end one of them. Hopefully, it'll be this one. **_

_**Anyway, as a sidenote, anyone seen latest Naruto manga? I don't know about that, I feel cheated in some way. I mean, I appreciate most of them coming back, but hey… Nah, ain't gonna spoil it. **_

_**Back on track, chapter forty one. Man, I've come a long way. Sorry to keep you guys waiting once again.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 41: Bonds Anew

Jiraiya could hardly believe his eyes as he watched the scene unfold before him. There was no way that Tsunade could _possibly_ be flinging Orochimaru around. No seriously, _flinging_. There simply wasn't any other word to describe this. A rag doll survived better than the formidable snake sannin.

Sarutobi, too, was staring at his female disciple with something akin to pride. But surprise definitely showed up more. How many years had it been since he witnessed the absolute strength and prowess of her skills?

"Haargh!" Once again, her fist rammed itself into Orochimaru's cheek, shattering his jaw for the umpteenth time. The Snake Sannin barely had time to form a counter attack before a kick right at his gut send him sprawling to the ground.

Eyeing the legendary Kunoichi before him, he couldn't begin to explain just when things started to go very wrong. He had been facing off Sarutobi-sensei with relative ease given the obvious advantage in stamina due to the age difference, and as he was about to gain the upper hand, that brute Jiraiya seemed to have erased the presence of Shodai and Nidaime from the hosts. And from the looks of it, the two oto genin were still alive!

Before he even stopped to consider that possibility, there was the fact that Jiraiya had transformed to a certain extent before he carried out that move. What was that about? Could it be that the legendary 'sage' form was actually achieved by that loser? This could not be!

"You seem pretty relaxed for someone getting his ass owned." Yet another kick directly to his chin sent him soaring into the air before Tsunade caught by the throat in a deadly grasp.

Orochimaru could not believe this. He had always thought Tsunade's fighting style was the most impractical out of all of them. He never did have much love for taijutsu, preferring the flashy effects of ninjutsu and genjutsu. He had always jeered that taijutsu not being able to hit meant nothing. But right now, Tsunade was hitting him _every single time_, and no matter what he did to try and dodge it, it didn't work. For some unfathomable reason, it was as though he was sucked towards her punches.

"That's right, Orochimaru. Today will be the day where I strip you of all your precious skins." Amber eyes held within them a burning resolve that the snake Sannin had never seen before. The only time that he had seen such a resonance of strength within her was during their fight with Hanzo, and even then, she had not shown such firm assertions of her beliefs. Ever since the death of her pitiful lover, she had grown weak, to the point where Orochimaru didn't even consider her an equal to be honest. His spies had given him information that Tsunade had chosen to wander around gambling and drinking her worries away, escaping from reality like a coward. Surely, this coward would not be of any use to Konoha even if she were to return?

What was there to be afraid of when the best Konoha could give was a useless pervert and a spineless gambler? The invasion would be a piece of cake!

Tsunade simply smirked as she tightened her hold, watching with a strange satisfaction as Orochimaru gasped for air. "It's time I showed you, Orochimaru, what taijutsu can _really_ do to you."

Before the snake Sannin could utter a reply, he felt the air leave his body completely as Tsunade drove an elbow into his chest, "Rouryu. _(Dragon Slayer)_" Following that, the fist easily rose and connected hard with his face, "Tengeki. _(Strike of the Sky)_" The sheer force behind the attack sent him crashing backwards into the Shishi Enjin. Just as the pain of the flames engulfed him, Tsunade appeared before him in the blink of an eye, fists poised. "Chikage. _(Thousand Shadows)_"

Punches rained down all over his entire torso, crushing him brutally against the flame wall, showing now mercy as the assault continued at a high speed. It seemed to be ages before the pain finally stopped, only to be replaced by a gut-wrenching agony as Tsunade plunged her fist right through his chest, "Senshin. _(Heart Pierce)_"

Her free hand had then grabbed hold of his face, and with one swift motion, her left leg stepped behind his, turning his body around as the force of the spin snapped his neck in half, "Why don't you have a _taste_ of your own jutsu? Hm?" Pressing Orochimaru directly onto the surface of Shishi Enjin, the Snake Sannin couldn't even scream as he was dragged along it with extreme velocity, before he was slammed against the wall, rebounded off it and finally rammed down to the ground with Tsunade standing above him, one foot on his neck.

Any normal human being would have died ten times over, but alas, Orochimaru was no normal human. With the first chance he had during this entire fight, he tore himself out of his layer of skin and slithered out in a hurry, before summoning Kusanagi back to his hand, "You shall pay for your insolence Tsunade! Bare fists could never hope to contest against Kusanagi!"

Tsunade ground the remains of Orochimaru's skin under her heel as she rotated her neck once, "Hm, so you say."

Jiraiya and Sarutobi could barely believe their eyes at the sheer velocity Tsunade was moving at. She had never been one of 'speed', but more of power. She wasn't exactly a brawler either, more like a tactical warrior, finishing people off with her insanely strong hits. But right now, that speed was absolutely deadly.

There was this simple fact that if attacks couldn't 'touch' you, they wouldn't do any damage at all. As 'mighty' as Kusanagi was, Orochimaru failed to land even a single strike, and that left him even more frustrated and confused. What was Tsunade playing at? There was no way she could land a punch on him if all she did was dodge.

"What's wrong Tsunade? Playing tag now?" Orochimaru hissed in annoyance as yet another strike missed its target.

It wasn't the flashy 'teleportation' type movement that Yondaime Hokage had shown. It wasn't exactly Maito Gai's style of speed, where you just dash into a blur. This was more accelerated reflexes, evading all the slashes by an inch, as though sensing the attacks beforehand.

Tsunade ducked under an incoming slash and all of a sudden, her fist surged forward, brimming with chakra, and once again, Orochimaru felt that weird sensation where he was being 'sucked' towards the punch.

The pain was devastating as the Snake Sannin was launched backwards into the fire wall, igniting himself as he came in contact with his special force field.

"Too slow!" In an instant, the Slug Sannin as by his side, heel raised, before sending it crashing into the tiles. Orochimaru barely dodged, choosing that particular moment to send Kusanagi directly through Tsunade's gut.

Blood splattered everywhere as a sickly grin spread on his face, "That's better. Not so smart are you, Tsunade?"

However, he soon detected something was wrong, for the chakra surge that followed definitely wasn't something he expected.

What he got in reply was one of the most eerie expressions ever, what with the purple vine-like chakra lines spreading all over her face, originating from the jade symbol she had always had on her forehead.

"Ninpo: Sozo Saisei! _(Ninja Arts: Regeneration of Life)_" Glaring at her ex-teammate with narrowed eyes, she simply dislodged the blade from her torso, and pushed a dumbfounded Orochimaru away.

"You think so?" Not only did she not seem to feel the pain, but the second punch that caught him in the cheek definitely shattered his jaw bone.

Hissing vapor rose from what seconds ago was a gigantic wound, and in moments, it was completely healed, showing no signs that Kusanagi was in there in the first place. As though it was some kind of stimulant, Tsunade's eyes held within them a chakra gleam as she charged again, her palm reaching out to Orochimaru, drawing it back, pulling the bewildered Sannin towards her and finally landing her left fist in his face hard, "Payback!"

Driving his entire head into the Shishi Enjin, it wasn't long before his entire body caught fire and Orochimaru was forced once again to relinquish his hold on yet another layer of skin.

Sarutobi shook his head, "To think that she would be able to control chakra cohesion to that extent… Truly amazing, Tsunade."

Jiraiya looked at his sensei, "You're joking, right? I mean, there's no way she's doing what I think she's been doing… right?"

"No, that is exactly it. She is simply making use of the out flowing chakra from the skin and drawing them towards her, making Orochimaru seem like a puppet, leaping to her punch."

Jiraiya shook his head, "But those are just tiny strands! Microscopic! How the hell does she even see them?"

"She doesn't need to. She knows the feeling of them all too well." Sarutobi ended with a wry smile, "And to think I thought she really only gambled and drank. Guess I underestimated our princess, and so did you Jiraiya."

The white haired Toad sennin could only stare on in wonder as Tsunade continued pulverizing Orochimaru. It wasn't exactly a difference in strength in this combat. Orochimaru had cornered himself, seeing how Tsunade fought best within a confined space, and given the amount of destruction everywhere, there wasn't exactly enough spots for him to dodge before Tsunade's reaction speed caught up with him.

It wasn't the first time Tsunade exhibited that kind of chain combo, only possible when one could instantly cause her muscles to react in less than a second, adjusting one's body to cooperate with her mind so that the string of movements could be carried out in half the time required by others. She was speeding up her impulses by increasing the rate of electrical activity within her brain. By coating her organ with a thin layer of chakra, it prevented the possibility that the power up might kill off brain cells. Her reflexes were increased by at least one hundred percent, her muscles being perfectly controlled due to the constant 'messages' her brain gave out. It was mesmerizing to see her almost 'predict' the attacks in a way, because her body automatically adjusted itself every time an attack was thrown her way.

Thinking back to the time where he had tried to explain everything about how Konoha needed her, and how he had threatened to simply cut all ties with her and if need be, disable her to prevent any troubles that might arise.

"I'm a bloody fool…" Muttering to himself, he could only sigh as he watched the woman he loved all these years accomplish the one thing he hadn't been able to finish.

"Haaargh!" Once again, Orochimaru was slammed into the burning field, eliciting screams of pain before he collapsed onto the ground. Staring up at the female trudging towards him, all the wounds that would have been fatal had it not been for that insane healing factor of hers that seemed to have come from no where disappearing in mere seconds, he couldn't help but feel something he hadn't experienced for a long, long time.

Fear. For the first time in so many years, he feared for his life. Even facing Uchiha Itachi had not brought him this type of fear. True, he had lost to the Uchiha prodigy, but even then, he had been only afraid of those damn eyes. But right now, the woman in front of him was a lot more dangerous. Being a medic meant that Tsunade understood the human body far better than he did, and there was no doubt in his mind, that somehow, Tsunade would find a way to break him up.

The idea that in this short period of time, Orochimaru had to swap two of his layers of skin already did not appeal to the Snake Sannin. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before he was obliterated by his ex-teammate, and he would not allow that to happen!

"Kinjutsu! Katai Tensei! _(Forbidden Technique: Form Transfer)_" In the blink of an eye, what used to be a human transformed into a gigantic white serpent, with the disgusting face of Orochimaru being the only aspect that seemed to be retained out of the Sannin's form.

"What the…?!" The ever confident Tsunade faltered slightly at the gruesome sight of the huge snake, her mind unable to fathom why anyone would willingly want to turn themselves into this kind of monster.  
"What is that?!" Jiraiya yelled, his eyes trailing along those spiky scales, unable to believe what Orochimaru had become.

"Orochimaru! To think that you turn into this…" Sarutobi closed his eyes as he watched his ex-student thrash about. The sight of a white serpent certainly brought back memories, and to a certain extent, he could understand just why Orochimaru would choose this form.

Tsunade growled before charging again, "Do not think for a second, Orochimaru, that this would save you!" Her fist, brimming with chakra, rammed its head right on, only for the sickly laugh of the Snake Sannin to fill the air, "Useless!"

The Slug Sannin's eyes widened, before she found herself crashing back onto the ground, with the serpent staring down at her smugly.

_What in the world…_

"Tsunade! Look out!"

The woman barely had time to process that shout before the body above came slamming down. Rolling quickly to the side, she deftly evaded the move and got back on her feet, the new danger of the situation leaving her slightly disoriented.

Power-wise, the strength shown by this new form was definitely something to be reckoned with, not to mention the tough hide that now surrounded Orochimaru's body. Those scales somehow deflected her entire blow, letting the chakra slide off them before Orochimaru countered with his own attack.

Thoughts aside, she had to duck her head as the tail of the serpent sliced at the spot her head was in a second ago, before back flipping to put some distance between the two of them. After the transformation, it would seem that the speed and flexibility of Orochimaru had greatly increased too; truly gaining the qualities that had made the slithery animals as feared as they were in the shinobi world today.

This was proved once again when the Snake Sannin surged forth in a swift motion, ramming head on into her torso, eliciting a painful groan from her as he launched her through the air, followed by a yell of "Katon" before a huge blast of fire caught her amongst its blaze.

Instinctively reaching out to the element, she brushed it aside using her superb chakra control, reanimating the scene with Itachi where she disintegrated the jutsu right before the Uchiha's eyes. Suffering from minor burns that were healed up automatically in no time, she gauged her opponent once again, taking in deep breaths to try and calm herself down. Too much adrenaline never did anyone any good, and as much as the battle rush suited her style, there were times when a shinobi simply had to sit back and use their brains.

The serpent snickered in glee, "How do you like this body of mine, Tsunade?"

"Hn, to think that you would really treat yourself so badly as to undergo such a revolting morph, looks like I underestimated you, Orochimaru." Her sarcasm was dripping from her words, her expression gaining a smirk as she tried to pass time with small talk.

Orochimaru didn't seem fazed by her comment and continued, "As strong as you are, you have no chance of winning me. Your very ace, that freakish strength of yours, useless before the strength of my hide. Your chakra control unable to do anything more than speed up your reflexes, but considering my agility far outstrips yours at the moment, you seem to be sweating quite a lot more than before, my dear Tsunade."

A cruel smirk greeted her face as she clenched her fists, "You will regret those words soon, Orochimaru."

"Oh, I look forward to that moment, that is, if you even show me that moment, mwahahahaha!"

"Take this, you son of a bitch!" Leaping into the air, she concentrated all her chakra onto her lower regions, her legs split far apart she pointed her right leg towards the sky, the utter force behind the strike threatening to break the very ground beneath them as she brought that limb down towards Orochimaru's head once again, determined to show the Snake that he could never hope to defeat her in that department.

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he yelled, "No! Don't do it Tsunade!"

The blonde only had a second to react before Orochimaru slid out of the way, letting her heel smash a crater on the roof, before his long body slithered around her, enveloping in a tight crush as he laughed out loud, "What a naïve woman! Stubborn to a fault, always doing what is to be expected. Hahaha! Now, enjoy your suffering before your death!"

The death bind that he had caught her in seemed to have sealed this fight. The sheer force and pressure Tsunade was feeling at the moment could not be described by mere words. Even with the healing factor she activated, she couldn't summon up enough strength to get out of this. Those sharp scales drew long scars across her skin, forcing her to bite in her yells of pain as she continued to struggle, ignoring the hissing of wounds that continued to grow with each futile action.

This was truly a sharp twist of events, where a few minutes ago, Tsunade had been completely on the offensive end, utterly demolishing any defense that Orochimaru had placed, and yet, in but a few moments with a transformation into a new form, Tsunade was on the receiving end of hell, and possibly even her own death. Perhaps she really had underestimated her ex-teammate…

Gritting her teeth, she summoned up her remaining strength and simply tugged with all her might at one specific part of the serpent, intent on pushing it away from her skin as she let loose a war cry, "Get away from me you piece of… Urgh!"

The resistance against her strength suddenly disappeared and Tsunade found herself overbalanced, any hold that her chakra had vanishing instantly, leaving her completely defenseless as Orochimaru ensnarled her within his grasp yet again. This time however, the position was slightly different with Tsunade's hands sticking out in random directions, her legs utterly disappearing in the mess and her head clearly visible as it was forced into a hold that left her close to suffocation.

"God damn it! Woman!" To Sarutobi's surprise, Jiraiya rose from the ground in a second, his face morphing into a texture not unlike his previous one as he tore down the souls of Shodai and Nidaime Hokage. Given the extent of exhaustion shown, the Sandaime had believed his student to be unable to take part in any form of combat, but to think that he stood up without any hesitation what so ever brought more than just a surprised frown to his eyes.

Yet, that shock grew even further as Jiraiya proceeded to summon up one of the most majestic jutsu he had ever witnessed, the beauty, grace and sheer power of the technique mesmerizing him in an instant.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru was too busy enjoying the torture of Tsunade to realize the trouble he was about to be in. "How do you like that, oh high and mighty slug sannin?! Ha! Rest assured, you'll die quickly. Not even you could revive from suffocation! Hahaha!"

Tsunade could barely keep her eyes open as she slow felt herself succumb to the lack of oxygen. Regeneration of cells ain't worth crap if the very source of energy for the regeneration disappeared. Oxygen was a key ingredient in a human's body and without that, as strong as you were, you wouldn't be able to do anything. This new sense of helplessness washed over the blonde as she thought about how she had failed again. All she could remember was holding an indignant Jiraiya in her arms and whispering that it was her turn. That was the scene that she had, over and over, and right before her eyes were about to close, a single image flashed through her mind.

_I'll always be there for you, hime. Always._

_Jiraiya… I'm so sorry…_

"Sennin Rasengan! _(Sage Swirling Sphere)_"

A bright blue light engulfed her sight, her ears roaring as the sound of the grinding reached and flooded them. The energy behind the jutsu sending a shockwave down her back, pulsing slightly as it washed over her, clearing her brain and temporarily removing any of the negative effects the strangling had on her just moments ago.

Suddenly feeling her release, Tsunade barely registered her surroundings as she crashed onto the roof, coughing slightly as she opened her eyes once again, only to snap them shut as a piercing wail filled the air.

Pain and agony were what it was made up of, and when the screaming finally ended, Tsunade bolted from the ground, forcing herself to stand up as she saw with her own eyes, the bleeding form of not just the snake, but Jiraiya as well.

"No…"

A cough later, the white-haired sannin stumbled slightly before steadying himself, his breathing harsh and rough. The blood that matted his clothes seemed ever so bright, and for a second, her fear of blood rose to her throat. But just like before, she quashed it. The very sight of the bleeding Sannin made it all the more clearer to her that hesitation was not the way to go at times like this. Ever since that night, she had vowed to stop this ridiculous fear.

She was the Slug Sannin, best damn medic in the world, and she was going to let nothing stop her from saving this man before her. Ignoring the shrieks from the writhing Orochimaru, she charged her hands with chakra and laced them around Jiraiya's shaking torso, pumping in as much as she could, while at the same time, pulling him as close to her as possible.

"You fool… you blood fool…" Tears slid down her cheeks as he felt his weight sag against her body, hearing his dry laugh as he shook his head, wishing that she had been stronger to actually be able to end this.

"Look who's talking – "

"I am."

"… Ah shit. Whatever…"

"Why aren't they healing?" Her voice suddenly grew desperate as she realized the wounds that grew on Jiraiya's body showed no signs of responding to her life force, and that wasn't good at all.

The Toad Sannin simply sighed, "Using natural energy without a catalyst means I have to pay a big price. You aren't going to be able to rejuvenate any of those cells while I'm still in this mode I'm afraid."

"Then drop it. Drop it now, Jiraiya."

Yet another chuckle escaped his lips even as the pain continued to engulf him, "Ah, now that, hime, is a no-can-do." Summoning up all the natural energy he had been gathering for the past few minutes, he spread out both his palms, "You see…" And once again, giant swirling spheres of cerulean flashed to life.

"I've got some business I have to end here. Something that I should have done years ago, but didn't have the heart to."

"Jiraiya! No!" But even as she said that, she watched on in horror as a chakra barrier separated her from him.

"I swore to keep you safe hime. And I'll honor that, for as long as I live. _No matter the cost_."

"Sensei. It was fun being your student. Hopefully, the feeling's mutual." Jiraiya smirked as he took a few steps forward, nearing the thrashing serpent.

"No! No! Get away from me! No!" For the first time in many years, Orochimaru screamed in fear, for he had witnessed firsthand just what those things could do to you. Years ago, Minato had invented that jutsu, allowing him to take his seat as Yondaime Hokage along with the prized Hiraishin jutsu. Years later, he was now being mocked once again by Yellow Flash's sensei, his teammate, one that treated him like his brother, and also, the one he betrayed so many years back.

Sarutobi could only shake his head in sadness as he watched Jiraiya maintain his jutsu as he walked towards the traitorous Sannin, "It is dear boy. It definitely is."

Tsunade, on the other hand, was ramming her fists on the barrier, crying out as she tried to reach for Jiraiya. Anyone could see that the life force was slowly deteriorating in the Toad Sannin, and for her to lose yet another precious person within her life was unacceptable. For it to be Jiraiya, out of all of them, was definitely unacceptable.

Turning his head, he gave one last smile to Tsunade, before uttering the words that would shock her into silence, dazed by his loyalty and shattered by his kindness. Her fists lay useless to the side as she watched on in that state of disbelief, before reality shook her out of the reverie.

"Jiraiya, NO!"

_I loved you hime, and I always will._

"Nibai Sennin Rasengan! _(Double Sage Swirling Sphere)_"

Orochimaru yelled out in agony as the attack struck right on. The previous Rasengan had already left him vulnerable as a new born, his chakra network completely destroyed as an aftermath. Even now, the pain was unbearable, the utter strength in his conviction that actually had this fool continuing the jutsu was unbelievable. Jiraiya was dying, anyone could see that, but to think that he would keep it up, choosing death just to save other people's lives, was incomprehensible to the Snake.

Why? Why would anyone not want to live forever and enjoy the fruits of immortality?

Why would anyone willingly deplete their life force for the sake of others?

In that short time span, all these thoughts crossed Orochimaru's minds, but none of them made sense as he realized, that once again, he had lost to Jiraiya. Many years ago, the fact that the dobe of his time had actually been considered on par with him angered him, and even as he observed Jiraiya, he had to admit that the fool was progressing at a far faster rate than he was. His goal to achieve immortality deepened, where he was determined to show them all, just what a genius he was, but then, his chance to prove himself was taken away by that blasted Namikaze. Konoha did not recognize his talents. His own sensei had abandoned him.

The world consisted only of himself, and that was all that mattered to him. He would rule them all, and make them pay for their insolence. He, alone, was divine and he alone, shall achieve that state where others have failed. He would be immortal, and nothing would stand in his way.

When that fool Jiraiya came to stop him, he had defeated him, but only barely, and to think that Jiraiya himself was actually holding back so that he would be able to bring the Snake back was ridiculous. The rage drove him and he had no regrets. He would kill them all. It was as simple as that.

So why? Why was he the one on the receiving end of this incredible ninjutsu, one that even he, had to be baffled by the sheer power and mechanics behind it, watching the ridiculous expression on Jiraiya's face as he slowly feel his life disappear, bit by bit?

Life, it truly was an ironic thing.

"Now die!" Jiraiya roared as he used the last of his strength and will to decimate the remains of Orochimaru, his heart feeling slight remorse for the teammate he had lost so many years ago, only to be replaced by the relief that at least Konoha was now safe from the maniac.

It was over.

Jiraiya had simply accepted the fact that Orochimaru had been destroyed, before his mind completely shut down, with his body slowly losing its energy, causing him to slump to the roof. His eyes lost focus as a single thought filled his mind…

_I'm so damn tired…_

A rush of footsteps sounded near him but he didn't bother with it until a pair of arms encircled themselves around his torso, pulling him towards something warm before a green light basked over him.

Even as he began to lose consciousness, he smiled, "Nah, it doesn't work…"

"I'll never let you go like this, you hear me? _Never_!" Tsunade then proceeded to do something that completely surprised everyone at the scene. She bit the white-haired sennin hard on the shoulder, causing said man to grunt as his eyes re-focused on her.

"That is just the beginning, I still need to show you just how much I hate you for that heroic act just now! So don't you dare die on me!"

"Right… Whatever…"

"You asshole."

"Huh… this is what a nice guy gets. Why did I even bother believing Naruto?"

"Would you just shut up?!"

Something warm pressed against his lips and before he knew it, he was kissing Senju Tsunade, niece of Shodai Hokage, his teammate and the only woman he had ever loved throughout his life.

Chakra flowed from mouth to mouth, forcing him to stay awake, as though to tease him about the pleasures that were yet to come.

"You baka… just give me some time, okay? I'll have you fixed up in a sec." Her voice was soft, a contrast to the usual loud and brash tone she took with him, showing for once, the concern she really held for him.

Jiraiya simply chuckled as he shook his head, "Alright. Alright. Do whatever you want."

Tsunade smiled slightly, before ruffling his hair, earning her yet another grunt, before she laughed. Then her entire posture changed, her amber eyes shining with determination as her hands once again lit up with chakra, "Ryusei! Get your ass over here and set up the healing formation right now!"

"I'm on it!" A familiar voice echoed through the area, revealing the leader of the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_ as he immediately set to work.

"Kireki! I'm counting on your chakra catalyst!"

"Hai!" A white blur was by her side in a flash, working with her to stabilize Jiraiya.

"Minagi!"

"Already helping!" The Uchiha was already in the midst of forming seals to start off the minor cycles of rejuvenation.

Amidst all this chaos, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, laughed in mirth. "It is true that a white snake symbolizes luck and power, but Orochimaru, you forget that the very core of one's nature is what decides their true within."

His eyes then proceeded to stare into the distance, focusing on a particular section of the forest that had dust exploding everywhere, "Naruto, it's all up to you now. Show me the strength of a future Hokage!"

"Kinka: Kaen Rin! _(Golden Flames: Blaze Wheel)_" Once again, Naruto decimated Gaara's so-called ultimate defense with yet another ferocious attacks. His chakra tails slowly amounting to three even as Gaara tried to transform.

His crimson orbs showed the confidence and determination that he held as he stared down at the enraged one-tailed Jinchuuriki of the sand, the corner of his lips turning upwards as he smirked, "You're going down, _bitch_."

* * *

_**There we go, finally I've finished this. Questions as to why Ryusei and co suddenly appeared will be explained in the aftermath. What happened to Sound Four? Find out after the war. **_

_**There you have it, Orochimaru dead. Good riddance. Makes it all the more easier to write now. Heh. **_

_**Hopefully, it was up to standard. The fighting of Tsunade and Orochimaru, it's quite complicated really, but if you read carefully, you'll understand why I portrayed their strengths that way. If you still don't understand, just review and ask. **_

_**Thanks guys, c'ya next time on the defeat of Gaara. **_


	42. Love

_**A/N: Alright, not much to say this time. Simply a good old brawl coming up starring Naruto and Insane Gaara. Hopefully, it'll be on par with the stuff I came up with before. Kinda long since I wrote a fighting scene, so yeah. **_

_**Anyways, hope you enjoy it as usual. Let's go! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 42: Love

"Destroy!" Sand gushing from his torso, yet another blast decimated the area where Naruto had stood a few seconds ago.

Having that much power, waiting to be released so that the bijuu could control its host to attain a larger form, seemed to be a liability at this point. Roaring in not only anger, but pain and agony as well, Gaara thrashed about wildly, long since losing conscious of his surroundings. All he cared about was letting loose all the wound up energy within him, and to do that, he used the only way he knew.

Destruction.

"Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!" Claws of sand raked the earth, tendrils of grains lashed out onto the trees, getting a good grip before Gaara launched himself towards the detestable blond that made him what he was.

There was no longer any room for logical thinking within his mind, so clouded by the bloodlust and overwhelming hunger for violence from his bijuu that the single remaining thing controlling him was the primal instinct the tanuki forced onto him.

Naruto stared at the form before him, uninterested. It was a good thing really. This was no longer Sabaku no Gaara, just another failure who had lost to his inner self. Sighing, the blond chastised himself for his sarcasm and his degrading view of people just like him. But it simply couldn't be helped, Naruto might not know what had happened to the redhead, but he had the average gist of the idea where Gaara probably didn't have the best of lives.

Snorting as he dodged to the left, Naruto rolled his eyes at that thought.

_Understatement much?_

Chakra tails acting on accord of Kyuubi, they batted away the projectiles that seemed intent on getting Naruto and making a few holes through his torso. The force of the attacks was admirable, pity how Kyuubi's chakra was one of the densest substances ever to exist.

When compact, it was probably the strongest chakra shield on earth, provided the user knew how to use it, and because Naruto had been communicating with the nine tailed fox ever since he was young, going as far as forming a bond with the bijuu, something a normal adult would never have _dreamed_ of doing, let alone a child, Naruto was simply put, way ahead of Gaara plus his bijuu that one could imagine.

Why wasn't he on the initiative then?

How come he stopped after that thrashing about he gave the redhead?

Truth be told, he was surprised. By his own power that is. Lately, the feel of Kyuubi's chakra felt weird. Before, it had a sinister touch within it, hidden carefully by the strength and potency of the energy, probably diluted by Naruto's own chakra. Yet now…

The tails swinging behind him were no longer bubbled forms. The red was not ghastly, nor did it seem like badly splashed paint. It was glowing lightly, a faint white covering the tails, making them almost transparent to a certain degree. The energy he felt was pure, extremely so to be honest, and that was where he was stumped. Kyuubi's energy, pure?

'_**Why are you so surprised?'**_

'_You really want to know?'_

'_**Hmph, cheeky brat.'**_

'_Yeah, yeah.'_

'_**What you see, all of this, is yours brat.'**_

'_Huh?'_

'_**They are no longer 'my' chakra.'**_

'_Are saying… that…'_

'_**Over the years, you have taken from me what was vile and evil and turned it into what it is now. Truly an impressive feat, I must say, but then again, you're my host after all.'**_

'_I didn't know! I swear, I didn't mean to steal – '_

'_**Ah shut up brat. You didn't steal anything. I'm still here.'**_

'_Then…?'_

Suddenly realizing his situation, Naruto flipped backwards, before charging up a Kaen Rin _(Blaze Wheel)_, "Bloody hell! I'm trying to hold a proper conversation over here!" Ramming it against the gigantic tornado that was sent his way, he diffused it without much fuss and successfully blasted the redhead backwards.

'_What do you mean? How can it be 'mine', but not mine at the same time?'_

'_**You were merely drawing on my chakra, but expressing it in a different way. Chakra is a unique substance, containing life's essence itself, and hence, can be used for all sorts of different purposes.'**_

Rushing through the trees, jumping every now and then to evade a sand bullet that was flung his way, Naruto continued his internal conversation with Kyuubi without much worry. His opponent was a mindless killing machine at this point after all.

'_**Ever since you came in contact with Mokuton, you began to better understand how to create life, and while you are in no shape to properly utilize that element, you at least understood how Nature worked better.'**_

Quietly absorbing the information he had been told, Naruto reached into his chakra source and felt about, and sure enough, it did feel purer than before. In fact, the agitated state of his energy just a while ago during the period where anger had helped him decide most of his battle instincts, it was calm now, undeterred and flowing with a silkiness he definitely did not expect from someone like him. He was an active guy after all.

'_**Your heart is set at this moment, intend on ending this, and the fact that you sensed the disappearance of a specific evil chakra source might have helped with this, but you've pretty much set the basics down, so now, all you have to do is execute more, learn from the experience, and become one with your energy.'**_

'_Ha, becoming one with you won't give me like, fox ears or stuff like that, would it?' _

Hearing the laughter echoing in his mind, Naruto couldn't help but reminisce the old times. The fox had made it clear when they first met, that there was no chance of him ever relinquishing what was his, and over the years, he had held true to his statement.

There was only one change though.

Naruto was one of _his_ too, and that fact alone, was enough to make it protect the blond with all its power. Witnessing his strength, his heart and his determination constantly made Kyuubi ponder the differences between a demon and a human. Was this why they kept losing to humans? Was this why they keep allowing themselves to be ordered around by them? It had despised all those summons from the Summon Realm, thinking that they were simply demons who were too weak to survive by themselves, choosing instead, to ally themselves with a race far weaker than what a demon was.

How wrong it was.

Sealed by the Yondaime Hokage, one of the most talented humans if he had ever seen one, into the son of said man, who was again, one of the most incredulous people he had ever had the chance of meeting. Both were alike, not only in appearance, but personality wise as well, taking on the whole damn world without a care, only striving to protect what was precious, without a single thought of conquering the weak, completely devoid of want of power over others, and that in itself was impressive.

It was clearly known that greed was one of the main evils within humans, and though Naruto did show some for certain things, ramen for instance, he was extremely reserved in that particular area. Never before had the nine tailed fox seen such a big heart in a being before, be it demon or human.

The brat was its kin, the only one that actually earned its respect. It was common knowledge that respect was extremely important among demons and that they had pride in not going back on their words. Kyuubi took Naruto into its care, molding him carefully alongside his human senseis and helped him on his path through his shinobi career, till this very point, where the boy showed that he was able to actually turn the demonic chakra, that was supposed to be the very symbol of disaster, into something holy almost. That not only spoke volumes for the trust he placed in Kyuubi, but also the amount of control he had over his own energy and beliefs.

All Kyuubi had to do was regulate the flow of chakra from itself to Naruto, how it was expressed was left up to Naruto. The boy had to have had complete control over that particular 'expression', meaning, how it was released from his body, where it was released, the amount that was released and so on, for it to actually appear in another form. It required an extreme amount of concentration for his thoughts to simply attach onto the energy and drift to the surface, morphing the chakra into something that truly belonged to him only.

Smirking, the demon sighed within its cage, wondering if this was how it felt to see a kit grow up.

It was grateful for the trust Naruto placed in him, and hence, subconsciously, his respect and care for the brat flowed between the link and it was this particular form Anko came upon as she arrived in the scene, hidden behind trees, eyes widening at the sight before her.

Gaara was still howling like a maniac, completely under the control of Shukaku, yet Naruto was simply standing before him, right hand raised, eyes staring at it as though taking in something incomprehensible for the first time.

And indeed, it was a spectacular sight. With white tint screening over a very faint crimson, the three chakra tails swayed gently in the wind. The chakra shroud that had appeared dissolved into nothingness, leaving a white flame in his hands, growing at his command, extinguishing at his call.

For some reason, Naruto's presence was the most attractive thing at that moment, and Anko simply couldn't tear her eyes off him. He was exhibiting a maturity that she had never seen before, his eyes staring at Gaara in a way that couldn't be described properly in words. It wasn't exactly pity, nor was it hatred.

Then it hit her. It was _realization_.

Realization of the fact that he himself could have been like this if he did not have the precious people that supported him throughout his life.

Gaara seemed oblivious to all this and simply attacked once again, charging blindly, completely unlike the cool image he had projected when he first entered the exam. Anko was about to intervene when Naruto simply raised his hand, summoning up those white flames, "Enough."

Blazing fire easily conquered those sand bullets, an amazing feat seeing how fire wasn't the most tangible substance to be controlled compared to sand.

Naruto then lifted his right palm, wheels of wind gathering around his forearm, compressed over and over, rhythmically, pulsing, much like that technique he had used in the preliminaries of the third exam.

"Senkuu Sen'un Sho! _(Swirling Air Piercing Palm)_"

Gaara, screeching from the pain of the flames, found himself directly in the path of the attack, eyes widening in fear even as Naruto pushed his palm out, the rings of wind crashing into him, impacting not only his physical barrier but his internal organs as well.

Not taking a breather, the flames in his hand surged to life, orange coating the white, shining brightly as a scarlet undertone appeared as well. The fire elemental chakra condensed itself into a large sphere, with flames licking off at the surfaces, resembling a sun almost.

The heat intensity itself was impressive, and yet as much as Anko felt the hot waves rushing over her, it didn't feel painful. Surprisingly, none of the trees around them caught fire, nor did the grass in the surroundings wilt even. This heat, it felt warm in a soothing way, washing away the fatigue, cleansing her in a way…

"Raaaaragggh!" Gaara, on the other hand, didn't seem too comfortable. In fact, it was doing its best to retreat. Clawing against the wind wheels that were trapping it in place, it shrieked in fear as Naruto slowly walked towards it, the mini-sun in hand. The sand on its surface heated to the extent where glass began to form, some shredding off in the process, melting to form goo as they slithered down his torso, eliciting pain all over the redhead, resulting in more screams.

"Entei. _(Emperor of Flames)_"

The resulting detonation spread throughout the entire area, basking them in a light that soared to the skies, shrouding over all of Konoha, bringing more than a pair of eyes towards the forest.

The blast caught Gaara right on, removing any feeble defense that he might have put up before the explosion. The wind rings that held him in place aided the flames as it engulfed him, uncaring of any resistance he placed with his deranged clawing and thrashing about. Such was the power of the sun, absolute and complete.

Naruto simply watched on, before closing his eyes, letting the fox's chakra recede back into his core, choosing instead to summon up his own, lighting up all the finger tips on his hands, carefully proportioning the elemental chakra he placed in each. Because of his absolute affinity for all five basic elements, he discovered that fuinjutsu was a lot nearer than he had first thought. This technique was something he came up for himself just in case someone interfered with his seal and mucked it up.

"Fuinjutsu no maki: Soujuu Fuin! _(Scroll of Sealing Techniques: Double Layered Seal)_"

Without any hesitation, Naruto rammed his fingers into the flaming Gaara's stomach, instantly stopping the horrendous shrieks from the redhead. Instead, the blazes parted for Naruto, receding as he commanded, leaving a silent Gaara with a slightly gaping mouth, pupils slowly focusing as he collapsed.

Catching the one-tailed Jinchuuriki mid-fall, Naruto whispered, "Back?"

Silence awaited his question as the entire area was rid of all tension that had accumulated there over the length of their fight. Anko could only watch on as Naruto handled the situation with ease and confidence that she would not have expected from herself, let alone a thirteen year old. But then again, she didn't really understand that much about jinchuurikis or fuinjutsu, so that point was moot.

After a long while, the redhead seemed to shuffle a bit, before replying with a quiet, rasped, "Yeah."

And just like that, Naruto smiled.

_Smiled_.

"Sweet. Why don't we get you fixed and let you have a good nap?"

Gaara shuddered for a moment, before a shaky whisper left his mouth, "For real?"

"Damn straight for real. I don't want you rampant on Konoha now, do I?"

For a second, Anko thought she saw wrong, but it was there. Tears were streaming down his cheek as he slowly got up and kneeled before Naruto, his forehead touching the ground even as he choked slightly, "Thank you…"

Naruto's eyes softened for a bit, "We're brothers. It's the least I could do for you."

And amidst the sobbing, Naruto helped Gaara on to his feet, taking extra care seeing how the redhead was feeble at this moment. It was uncanny to see all this happen, especially for someone who saw with her eyes the intense battle the two just had moments ago. It really wasn't a fair contest, seeing how Naruto had not only completely adjusted himself to the feel of Kyuubi's chakra, and from the looks of it, he had evolved it into something entirely different, but also, he was fighting together with Kyuubi, whereas Gaara was controlled by a crazed Shukaku, fighting a solo, losing battle. Then, there was the difference in the number of tails. While it wasn't exactly nine vs one, the three tails that Naruto had was more than enough.

Naruto seemed happy, elated even, whereas Gaara looked relieved. In fact, the boy seemed to have really lowered his guard. Gone was the cautious exterior, instead, it was the image of a boy who finally found peace with something.

"Anko! You're okay!" Naruto's eyes widened in joy as he met her with a wide smile, "Were you watching?"

The purple-haired Kunoichi couldn't help but laugh, before ruffling his hair like old times, earning herself a grumble. No matter what happened, Naruto would still be Naruto, even when he grew up, he would still be in there somewhere, the Naruto she watched since he was a kid, the brat she was proud to call her brother.

"Yeah. You did great gaki. Since when did you master fuinjutsu, hm?" Grinning mischievously, she grabbed Naruto by the hair and gave him a noogie.

"Hey! Watch it!" Naruto somehow got out of her hold, a smirk on his face, "I have been training after all, do you expect so little from me?"

"Of course not, but I reserve the right to be surprised. It's you after all, Mr. number one unpredictable." Teasingly, she pulled at his cheek.

"Gah."

"So? What's up with him?" Gesturing to Gaara who was, surprisingly asleep, Anko asked.

"Not having a demon rant within your mind every single second tends to do that." Smiling, he elaborated, "For once, he finds peace. No more chants for violence, no more screams for blood, no more demands for death."

Anko winced, she really didn't have a clue about Jinchuuriki's after all. She had thought she had it bad with the cursed seal, and judging from the state of Naruto's mind, she hadn't really considered the possibility of him going crazy on them all. Now that she had witnessed for herself the extent of which a truly tormented Jinchuuriki could go, she looked at Naruto with no small amount of relief and pride. Naruto had survived; along with them, and for that, she was grateful.

Grateful for him just being there, and even though the blond might think that they were the ones supporting him, she knew just how much his presence supported them as well. A child, innocent as ever, relentlessly pouring his love into them, promising himself to always protect his precious ones, and that in turn, drove those around him to be better, be stronger, for his sake and for their own. They each discovered aspects of themselves that they might not even have realized, especially Anko.

Wild, ferocious and one heck of a woman. That was what people thought of Mitarashi Anko. Of course, they still thought of her like that, but their image of her had definitely mellowed out over the last year. To think that she could interact in such a, well, _normal_ way with her team instead of her usual random styles really made an impression on others. She hadn't believed that she would change, but changed she did.

And once again, here she was, watching Naruto relate to someone so similar to him with no difficulty, going straight to the core, ignoring all the useless persuasion, using his own methods to solve the trouble in the shortest of times. Naruto used methods that would, simply put, blow people's minds at times, and this was one of them. Who would completely obliterate an opponent in combat, before saving him from the brink of death, then bringing him back to health _after_ 'removing' his inner demon?

Most would struggle to survive the battle and then find a way to just kill and get it over with. Sometimes, she had no idea just how much Naruto 'thought' through his actions. Who knows? He might have been simply acting on instinct. This was his 'brother' after all.

"Ne, Anko-sensei, are they alright?"

Anko blinked, shaking herself out of her reverie, before raising an eyebrow, "Who?"

Naruto deadpanned, "You weren't listening at all, were you?"

"Oh, I was."

"No, you weren't."

"Yes, I was!"

"Sigh…"

"Hey, what's the meaning of that?"

Slowly, they made their way out of the forest, both with identical smirks on their faces. This never got old…

* * *

_**With Sakura and Ino…**_

Wiping away the sweat after she finished healing yet another injured shinobi, she finally let loose a breath of relief. Thankfully, none of them had wounds that were beyond her range of treatment, and with Ino by her side, they had successfully seen to all the injured in this area.

It hadn't been easy, but the jonins in the area had left them a wide berth, clearing away any obstacles and enemy shinobi that stood in their way. After all, everyone knew how important medic nins were in the middle of a war. While Sakura and Ino weren't at the stage where they would be recognized as 'medic-nin', their shosen no jutsu still did wonders and prepared the patients for further surgery after they reached the hospitals.

Haku had rushed off elsewhere to assist the remaining forces in their defense against the invaders. She was worried about her 'father' after all, just as how Sakura and Ino were both worrying about Naruto. As much as they told themselves that he would be fine, they really wanted to _see_ for themselves that he was alright. But alas, this was war, and they didn't have the luxury to do as they pleased.

That gigantic pulse of energy just now from the forest had shaken them both, and though the chakra felt warm and nice, they wanted to believe it was Naruto. It just had to be, because there was no way Gaara could expel that type of chakra. But there was nothing really like anything Naruto had ever done, and they couldn't help but let their imagination run wild.

Did Naruto get injured? Did someone interfere their fight? What happened? Was he okay?

All sorts of questions bombarded their minds even as they carried out the healing process, and now that they were done, they couldn't help it. With a mutual glance at each other, they dashed for the forest.

The shinobi guarding the area let them past without a word, knowing where they were going. After all, who hadn't heard of the famous Team six?

Hearts increasing in pace as they neared the area, sweat matted their palms as they picked up their speed, wanting to know the result of the fight. The forest was quiet now, signifying that some conclusion must have been made in that combat. Naruto must be the victor… He _had_ to be…

Just then, three figures lurked into view, slowly trudging along the path. They were all bunched together, arms around each other's shoulders, though it seemed that the two on the side were supporting the one in the middle.

Gulping, both girls slowly came to a halt, fists clenched in anticipation, wanting to find out but not daring at the same time. The one in the middle had been a redhead after all, so did his brother and sister come and save him…?

The anxiety was over the moment blond and purple hair came into view. Those vibrant sun-kissed spikes never looked better.

"Naruto!" In unison, they ran.

Said blond turned his gaze in their direction, and just like that, he instantly released the hold on the redhead he was supporting, almost lugging the bulk of his burden onto the scowling purple-haired Kunoichi. He too, dashed off, a wide grin on his face.

It wasn't long before he caught them in his arms, embracing them with all his love as he sighed in relief. They were fine, they were safe, they were _here_. That was all he needed to know.

"Oh Naruto, we were so worried." Sakura had tears going down her cheeks, "I know we should have confidence in you but… I can't help it…"

Ino too, had to bite back a sob as she simply buried her head at the base of his neck, simply enjoying the warmth that was him. The fear that clawed at her ever since they left him was gone.

Naruto simply shook his head slightly, his fingers gently brushing away their tears, before he placed his hand under Sakura's chin, lifting it, and without a word, he crashed his lips on hers.

Without hesitation, the rosette returned it with fervor, as though wanting to confirm that the passion and love she was experiencing was real. Naruto ended the kiss with a slight nip on her lip, before turning to Ino and catching her shivering lips as well. The blonde melted into his kiss and answered softly, tongues slowly entwining, fully enjoying the moment.

Anko couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her team as she slowly made her way to them, before staring at the load in her arms, "You know, he gets kisses and hugs, but I get to drag you around. That's not really fair now, is it?"

And even as she mumbled to herself, Team Six was reunited once again, and their bond was stronger than ever. There was no longer any hesitation in their relationships.

They were one, and would continue to be so, for as long as they lived.

That was the love these three shared, and the reason why, one simple phrase from the blond, with his charming grin and mirth-filled eyes, could bring Sakura and Ino to tears once again.

"I love you."

* * *

_**Yeah, it's a short chapter. I injured my left hand twice this week, so three of the fingers were kinda out of commission, and it got a bit difficult to type, so I edited the scene and made it into the lovey dovey ending lolz. It's cheesy, but still, I liked it. I had to give their relationship a conclusion after all, didn't want to drag that out. **_

_**With this, the invasion is officially over. Aftermath next chap I think. For those that think that it really wasn't a brawl, well, too bad, live with that. Lol. **_

_**Hopefully, you enjoyed it. That's all for this time. Please review and tell me what you think. Cheers guys. **_


	43. Shura

_**A/N: Came down with a minor flu, hence the late update. Now, finally, the Konoha assault comes to an end. Treat this chapter as an aftermath of sorts. Time skip coming up soon, and this story has probably progressed two-thirds of the way already. I think. Anyways, just read on and find out. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

**_

I Will Believe

Chapter 43: Shura 

"The forests are calm now." Sarutobi muttered as he rubbed his chin, "Seems like Naruto-kun succeeded." Breathing a slight sigh of relief, the Sandaime Hokage turned back to the scene before him, "Now let's just hope Tsunade can work a miracle again."

It wasn't looking good at this moment, for the pain Jiraiya must be going through could be seen from his grimaces. His lips, bleeding from the strength his teeth were biting down on, spoke volumes of the man's pain tolerance.

The Slug Sannin had tried everything in her arsenal, but it would seem that natural energy was truly a force to behold. Power does not come without a price, and it showed here. Life force such as chakra do have connections to natural energy, and yet, because the latter composed of many other bits and pieces that chakra did not, trying to suppress it with simply healing chakra would not work.

Ryusei had been activating his 'Seimei Kikan' _(Life Restoration)_ area-effect seal for the past twenty minutes, and even with that, the wounds on Jiraiya's body gave no signs of healing up. The blood flow was stopped temporarily yes, but one single lapse in concentration would start them up again. It was as frustrating as it was heart wrenching.

Sarutobi, and perhaps, everyone at the scene felt their hearts go out to Tsunade, for the woman must be undergoing one of the worst memories of her life. Years ago, she had been under the same situation, unable to save the one she held dearest then, watching as blood smeared her hands, powerless to stop the Shinigami from taking away Dan. And now, Jiraiya, the one that she had always found relief, comfort and amusement in was slipping away through her fingers, because she had been too weak…

It always came down to this, she had been helpless then, she was helpless now. She tried, Kami knows she tried as hard as she bloody damn could, and yet!

Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks as she saw the agony on Jiraiya's face. Just what was she doing? Was this what she could do as a medic? This was it?

Slowly but surely, her chakra potency rose, glowing brighter than before, her gaze held within them a rage that wasn't present prior to this invasion. True, she had tried while Dan was dying, and she had failed. But so what? That had been more than ten years ago, and her knowledge in medicine now far outstripped what she had known back then. She was a veteran in the field of medical arts, known as one of the world's best at what she did.

So why should be afraid? This man before her had shown no fear when he decided to give up his life to protect _her_! He who was a joker, an idiot, a lovable pervert!

Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to calm down. There was still time, and as long as that particular factor stayed that way, she would win. Every single medic knew that the true enemy against them during surgeries was time. The patient's vitality was important, but the seconds that pass while they restore that vitality was way more crucial. Medic nins did not fight wars with weapons, they rage havoc against the gods and nature to bring back to life their comrades, friends and precious ones.

Kireki and Minagi were struggling to maintain the chakra flow throughout the seal, seeing how the conflicts and clashes with the natural energy within Jiraiya's body had left them quite exhausted, even if they had only begun doing this half an hour ago. Ryusei, noticing their fatigue, sighed, before gathering a ball of flames in his left hand, "We need Anko."

Thrusting the fire ball into the sky, it exploded in a flashy display of fireworks, and with that, Ryusei turned back to concentrating at the task at hand. Seimen Kikan alone wasn't going to cut it. They needed a Shishou Jin _(Four Symbols Formation)_, which was the basis of their titles. Seiryu of the East, Suzaku of the South, Byakko of the West, Genbu of the North, together, they were the Shi Fukei, and though their Shishou Jin was well-known by most in terms of combat efficiency, the true essence lay in fuinjutsu.

Without Anko, the North would be left wide open, and to form a balance between the different energies, a weird trapezium would eventually arise and hence, the efficiency of the seal and formation would be greatly reduced. It had been extremely hard to find four people with exactly matching essences, Ryusei and Kireki, Minagi and Anko. Beyond that, their essences need to have some form of connection so that the central position, Koryu _(Yellow Dragon)_, would be a projection of all four essences combined.

The situation the Shi Fukei _(Four Guardians)_ had however, was slightly unique. The reason Ryusei was the leader was because, _whenever_ he was in position within the Shisho Jin, the balance with Koryu would never be disrupted. He had a unique quality given his curse that would take up the proportion of essence that was missing and use his own to fill up the gaps. It was extremely damaging to his body, but seeing how the cursed blood of the Kamio clan had special regenerative qualities within them, he would still survive the backlash.

In a few moments, the swirling of leaves was detected, and there she was, along with Team Six, supporting a weakened Gaara. Smiling slightly, he gave a flick of his head, gesturing for her to quickly take up her position.

In an instant she was there, hands already flashing through seals, incorporating her chakra essence into the formation, combing with the other three to achieve that balance that had been much sought after. The change was immediate, no longer was the control resting solely on Ryusei, the effort had been greatly reduced now that all four could evenly shoulder the burden, and it showed in the success in actually stopping the blood flow, whereas before, it had been leaking every now and then.

Tsunade nodded gratefully at the last Guardian and once again focused on the regeneration of life within the Toad Sannin. The Natural energy was still under the impression that anything it would come into contact with was an enemy, and that was because Jiraiya had not used a catalyst to help maintain the stability of that particular energy that this was happening. Natural energy was _supposed_ to be the powerful, but only if it was controlled.

The last thing one needed was for that much power to be running around attacking everything in sight, which, unfortunately, was exactly what it was doing right now. Ignore the fact that it was Jiraiya who conjured it; it was now simply treating Jiraiya as its pathway to the atmosphere, where the need to disperse back into Nature strongly overrode Jiraiya's want for it to recede.

Team Six, especially Naruto, watched on, gaping at the extent of injuries Jiraiya had. The pervert had been one of the strongest people they had ever had the chance of meeting, and to think that he would be reduced to a state such as this, it was horrifying to think that he couldn't recover.

Staring anxiously at the Shi Fukei and Tsunade, it was all they could do, just like everyone else, be it those already there, or the others that were slowly arriving on the scene, to pray for the safety of their Sennin, and the success of the operation.

Time passed, and yet there still seemed to be no way of healing him. The moment the seal was terminated, the wounds would bleed again, and because of this, the constant maintaining of chakra output was severely taxing on four already tired shinobi. Never mind the fact that they had huge chakra reserves, it was the constant, precise control of the chakra they released that was tiring.

Almost every single Shinobi in the village had gathered there, watching on helplessly, unable to lend a hand even as the elite of them were trying to save a man's life. Sarutobi himself had contemplated substituting one of them to let them have a break in between, yet the fact remained that he had close to no idea how this seal worked, as his interest had always been in jutsu used by a single individual, not bothering to go into formations. Hence, he continued with his task, creating an area-wide dome so as to recycle the chakra used.

This was a technique originally designed for meditation purposes, rarely ever used in operations simply because the chakra emitted by this dome might interfere with the medical chakra of the operation. Sarutobi had, on the spot, made use of years of research and experience in the field of jutsu execution, and altered the technique so that he would be the primary focus of the jutsu, making it as if the dome was designed for _his_ meditation, instead of the healing that was happening within it, that way, the chakra would circle around his being, while at the same time, returning the chakra dispersed in the air back through to him. The second bit was tougher, where he would be the catalyst, sending the chakra back into all the individuals, through a complicated process that involved diffusion of the energies using the air as a medium.

Needless to say, everyone was impressed by the 'Professor', and the ones taking part in the surgery were extremely grateful seeing how because of this, they could now continue for much longer than before.

Tsunade had never shown a sign of giving up, trying out fifty different methods of healing. It was incredible to see the blonde woman pull out one way after another, aiming chakra at different parts of the body, different organs and spots where she would forcefully implant her chakra into the body to see if the Natural energy reacted.

This somewhat nullified the pain caused by the chaotic energies within Jiraiya, seeing how a pain from the outside could usually divert one's senses to focus more on that, instead of the immense pain within. What should normally be very painful felt very welcoming to Jiraiya, a great distraction from the agony he was going through.

The medics present couldn't help but sigh at her prowess in their field. It was just amazing to see so many different, unorthodox methods used, and some were not even remotely associated with the case that was present. Stuff like the healing of bones was used by her to attempt the regeneration of tissue, which should not be possible given how the materials that bones and tissues were made of consisted of different elements. And yet there she was, successfully carrying the processes out, without a hint of hesitation in her logic.

Her discarding of failed plans was swift and resolute, not caring about the letdown, choosing to concentrate on the next one and in her mind, run through quickly the possible areas that she needed to look out for. Her execution was excellent, and it was no wonder she earned her name as the best damn medic in the world.

Sarutobi could only sigh as she watched his student work in frenzy. He would have thought her skills had rusted, seeing how his reports had stated that she did nothing but gamble and drink. The truth was before his eyes, where this woman, no matter how much the past might have haunted her, had hung on tightly, relentlessly grabbing onto the painful past, remembering it, letting it hurt her, demoralize her, attack her, and from all that, she grew.

Her emotional state evolved, fully understanding sorrows, letting them rule over her, and yet at the same time she would rule over them. There was simply nothing worse than she had seen, and by letting the memories torment her, she needed an outlet, and that became drinking and gambling. But now Sarutobi knew, that each time the past screamed at her, her mind would be replaying the scenes of her failure, and whilst that happened, that brain of hers would be considering different ways as to the scene could have played out. She would experiment, think and come up with new hypothetical ways to make up for the mistakes that she had made, and try them out as soon as she could.

The life of a medic was harsh, for they could never have a perfect record. Someone, a patient, comrade, loved one, at least one of those from a category would tarnish them. Such was the pain of a medic. With every failure and success, be it a field operation or a surgery in a hospital, the tears of the relatives of a lost patient, or the cheers of those of a saved one, every single moment would constantly be replayed in them, and the need to do better, to ensure that the failures decrease, would always linger in their hearts.

And for Tsunade, one who had had countless goes at surgeries, ample experience in field operations, at least two traumatic memories of her loved ones dying because of her helplessness, the answer should have been clear to him. She would fight on, no matter what she did, she would go on.

However, the situation remained severe, and it soon became clear that even the great Tsunade could not resolve the danger, simply because she had too little understanding of what Natural energy was meant to do, and how it was supposed to be removed. Having no knowledge of the 'enemy' she was fighting against, it made her efforts all the more futile and heart-wrenching.

Everyone at the scene looked on in anxiety, hoping against hope that somehow, there would be a way to resolve this. It was then that Ryusei stepped forward into the centre of the seal, leaving behind a clone to maintain the balance.

At this, all three other Guardians gasped, with Kireki first whispering, "No, please don't tell me you're –"

"I have to." The brunet smiled, "It's okay. I have yet to lose to a sennin before, surely his energy can't do much to me."

Minagi gritted her teeth, "You're a poor liar, you know that right?"

Grinning, the leader of the Shi Fukei laughed, "Damn right I am. Anko! Get ready."

"Wha? No! You shouldn't even be doing this! What the hell?!" The purple-haired Kunoichi fidgeted as she tried to adjust to the sudden change in energy flow.

"Ryusei!" Kireki yelled, her eyes widening with worry.

As violet pulses of chakra spread from him, Ryusei smirked, "Let's do this!"

Everyone, including the Sandaime Hokage, could only gape as the man before them let out an inhumane roar, his hair turning to a bright crimson, lengthening slightly as it spiked backwards due to the energy rush.

What used to be a calm and collected Ryusei now evolved into a daredevil, eyes golden in colour, glinting even as he gathered the flames in his hand, "Yes! This feels good!" Cackling, he aimed the fire directly at Jiraiya, "Hn, pussy, get the hell up and fight me!"

Tsunade could only gasp in surprise as she was forced to dodge backwards, the heat scorching the air as it flew through. Even more shocking, was the fact that the flames were instantly stopped right above Jiraiya's torso, as though some sort of invisible shield prevented the fireball from reaching the sennin.

Snapping his fingers, the red turned into violet, piercing through the guard and struck Jiraiya right on, eliciting a yell of pain from him. "That's it, that's it! Hahahaha!"

"Just what the hell is going on?" Tsunade yelled, unable to comprehend the string of events.

By now, the remaining three Guardians were all on their feet, hands flashing through seals to form a new formation, "Hurry!"

And just like that, a triangular pyramid rose around Ryusei and the lying Jiraiya, enveloping them as they blocked out the rest of the spectators, including a completely confused Tsunade.

"Wait a minute! What are you doing? What is _he_ doing?!" Expecting an explanation, the blonde turned towards the three Guardians, hoping to find some sort of answer to this, this, this _madness_.

However, a wave of gasps caught her attention, and to her immense shock, Jiraiya had gotten up from the ground, his wounds no longer bleeding, and for some reason, he seemed like a completely different person from before.

"Hm, I don't like the look on your face…" The crazed Ryusei whispered, "How about I wipe it off?!" Charging forward in a blur, the brunet attacked with intense ferocity and seemed to exude far more power than would be expected from someone so exhausted.

Jiraiya too, seemed devoid of any emotion and retaliated with equal force, acting more on instinct than anything else. The normally calm and collected Toad Sannin of Konoha, matching the leader of the Shi Fukei with something akin to bottled up hatred and anger, and this alone confused many of those present.

Just then, Sarutobi gasped, "My god! That's Shura form!"

Shura (修羅), special beings said to be able to harness all cursed energies, the epitome of darkness, where one's true primal self was brought out, and exposed for all to see, and accompanying them would be real power, fed on by emotions, be it negative or positive. Rumours had it that Shuras never live too long, because their minds would either conflict themselves seeing how the desire to destroy and the want to protect oppose each other, and the Shura would end up killing himself out of despair. There had yet to be a person that could successfully control himself while in Shura form, though there were some that could somewhat stay conscious, choosing to use the need to destroy as their means to live, and were extremely feared in the last few Shinobi Wars.

In an instant, the veteran jonins present understood the situation and made to evacuate the lower ranks, seeing how the young ones failed to understand the true power of the fight that was happening before them.

Sennins were the direct opposite of Shura, where they drew on natural energy, feasting on the life in the air around them, from everything present, be it living or non-living, for everything in this world contained an essence, and to control that essence was the key to becoming a Sennin. The drawbacks, though completely different from Shura, held the same effects overall. If one were to become too attached to Nature, he would lose himself to the energy, becoming delirious and utterly incomprehensible in his actions, or in cases like the one before them, where Jiraiya lost control due to the lack of a catalyst, the energy would act on them instead, eating on their bodies.

The bloodthirsty Ryusei ripped out a new stream of purple flames, swinging them into the ground, slamming his palm onto the surface before yelling, "Eat this!"

Without warning, blasts of fire erupted from underneath, scorching the entire area as they rushed at the sennin, intending to obliterate him on the spot, and yet all Jiraiya did was take a deep breath, before pushing his palm forward, and letting the natural energy run its course, where it collided right on with the flames, splitting it in different directions, splattering harmlessly to the sides.

The match was brutal, to say the least, and even Tsunade could only gape as she watched Jiraiya brawl it out with the brunet. By her sides, Kireki was almost in tears, knowing that Ryusei must be hurting immensely by now.

It wasn't the first time they had seen this from their leader. Last time, while they were still teenagers, in the last Shinobi War, the one in which the four of them became well-known throughout the lands due to their combat prowess and young ages, they had almost died. They were confident, careful and planned everything over and over, but the numbers had been against them and simply put, they were cornered. It was four against a thousand.

No backup could be sent because they were too far away, and everyone thought for sure that they would be dead, and god knows the enemies were probably squealing in glee at that thought. They had fought, bravely and courageously with reckless abandon, wanting to take down as many as they could before they fell.

She had been careless, letting fatigue get the better of her and fell prey to a trap. Five shinobi were on her in an instant, and by then, she knew it was too late. She awaited death, silently and helplessly.

That was when it happened. The first, true awakening of the Shura. She could only watch on as Ryusei tore through them, his bloodlust and crazed mindset ordering him to tear through the enemy ranks. She had shivered, shuddered and whimpered.

What was this?

Who was this?

This wasn't Ryusei. Someone took over, someone evil, someone cruel, someone who showed no mercy as limbs and heads rolled all over the battlefield.

It took both Minagi and Anko to slap her out of it at the end, as the three of them rushed to see what happened as the Kamio reverted back to his normal form. By then, the plains were littered with carcasses, blood smeared all over his body, his pupils slowly contracting as his mind went into a relaxed state.

She had caught him in her arms as he fell forward, his only words being, _They're gone now…_

All three of them were shaken, and had instantly retreated from the area, demanding Tsunade take a look at their captain, who had done the impossible. He had taken out an entire army by himself, evading all attacks placed on him, slicing through them like they were nothing but pieces of paper. It was that devastating, the power that he held that day was simply on a completely different level compared to the enemy.

_Kire, I'm tainted you know?_

_No, you're not! _

_It's all in the blood, there's no point denying it. You saw me back there. _

_Ryu!_

_Did I frighten you?_

_Cut it out! Look at me! I said LOOK AT ME!_

…

_You saved my life. You saved me from them. Is that clear?_

_Kire…_

_Don't! What is this? Where's the real you? I want him back! Not this wimp!_

… _I'm sorry._

_You baka! You stupid baka! _

_Were you scared?_

… _Hm…_

_Then, I guess I'm glad this happened after all._

_I thought we were done for Ryu…_

_Yeah, me too. _

Minagi felt her share of shock as she witnessed this form once again. Over the course of the years, she had seen that style, that posture, those crazed eyes a few times, yet each time she couldn't erase the fear that came with it. It wasn't really fear of the Shura, but more of its power. To go toe to toe with a sennin just like that was practically unheard of, especially when the sennin was as good as Jiraiya.

She knew all about Ryusei's cursed blood, the power of the Yachimata resided within him, and the whole of the Kamio clan was well-known for that. Yet over the years, the bloodline, if you could call it that, receded, and for some reason, no matter how they tried, the number of individuals that had that blood decreased until there was only one of them left. That had been Kamio Kyo, Ryusei's father, and just like that, Ryusei inherited what was possibly the most deadly bloodline in the world, be it to enemies or to himself, because there was no guarantee just what he would do when he was in that form.

Anko grimaced as she watched Ryusei take a critical hit and was sent crashing through the roof. She knew where this was going, and she knew she couldn't screw up. The moment when all the natural energy was out of Jiraiya's body, that would be when they strike, all three of them. They would set up the Shisho Jin, with Ryusei absent, and from there, using the imbalance of the seal to temporarily box up the natural energy, before completely disturbing the formation and forcefully sending it back into the surroundings.

"NOW!"

Kireki charged, sealing certain tenketsu in the blink of an eye, letting Minagi immobilize Jiraiya using her genjutsu whilst Anko created the basis of the formation. She was Genbu of the North and had to take point, leading them in this, seeing how this was the reversal of the common symbols: East (東), South (南), West（西）, North　(北).

Next up was Kireki, and finally Minagi, leaving the eastern post wide open, and seeing how sennin were arch enemies of shura, the catalyst for the direction of natural energy was confirmed. Jiraiya let out a cry of pain as the remaining natural chakra within him soared out of his body and through the compression of the three kunoichi's formation, it was forcefully expelled into the surroundings, back to Nature.

All this were executed without hesitation, the speed at which it was carried out was incredible, as was the flashy displays of aura generated due to the clashing of energies. Just like that, Jiraiya slumped to the ground, spent, unconscious.

"Ryusei!" Knowing that their job was now done, Minagi rushed quickly released her seal and rushed off to ensure that Ryusei was okay. Kireki followed too, and was right behind the Uchiha as they both brought back a bleeding Kamio, who seemed to have reverted back to his normal self.

His injuries were severe though, his muscles were torn, his chakra pathway was completely screwed over, given the sudden eruption of power, and basically, it was a miracle he wasn't dead yet.

Surprisingly, it was Sarutobi who took charge of the situation. Orders were barked and obeyed in an instant. Medic-nins rushed the field, with Tsunade checking to make sure that Jiraiya was not in any immediate danger, before quickly going over to Ryusei and stabilizing his condition. While the situation was grave, it was still a far cry from being a critical stage as with Jiraiya just now, and since Tsunade had already pulled out a huge number of healing jutsu, she did not hesitate and got to work immediately, with the help of Kireki. Minagi and Anko knew they wouldn't be of much help here and chose instead to organize the lower ranks and begin clearing up the streets, scavenging for any lost comrade, and ensuring that their bodies were returned safely to the morgue.

Naruto and the others had their own orders, and got to work immediately, yet the blond couldn't help but glance at the fallen Ryusei, wondering just what that power was. Was he a Jinchuuriki as well?

It would seem that his questions were to be answered another day, for the rubble that littered the streets was ridiculous. Grimacing, he formed as many clones as his reserves could handle, and they were off.

Wars were cruel, the amount of infrastructure damaged could not compare to the families that were broken up, and yet it represents a physical pain on one's pride, where their homeland was desecrated, demolished and insulted.

But they were Konoha, the leaves of the Hi no Kuni, and they would persevere. The sun bearing down on them would be their witness, for the clouds had parted, allowing light to guide their path. Orochimaru was dead, Jiraiya was saved, Sarutobi was alive, and Tsunade was back, stronger than ever.

The future was looking bright, and perhaps, in but a few years, Konoha would be right back on their feet, looking stronger than ever. But for now, they would heal. Slowly and surely, they would recover, and when they do, they would make sure that this would never happen again.

* * *

_**In Rai no Kuni…**_

"Did you feel that?" A voice mumbled throughout the room as the rest of the council members of the Kamio clan gathered together, "That was definitely _it_."

"It has been awhile since we felt the evolving of a Shura."

"Hmph, that traitor's bastard son, no doubt."

"We need to work fast, we cannot have such a person holding onto our power!"

"All agreed that he should be eliminated?"

Mere nods were answers as all raised their hands in silent agreement.

"Very well, I'll send _her_."

"Do you think she can do it?"

"Of course she can. She is a demon after all, what better weapon do we have to fight against the deformed product of a demon's offspring itself?"

"Send a request to the Raikage, tell him the Kamio requests the assistance of Nii Yugito."

* * *

_**Finally, I finished. Man, that took way longer than expected. I added some interaction for OC seeing how I didn't really mention them for awhile, and those of you who want to know what the cursed blood meant, you can take a few guesses. But no, he's not a Jinchuuriki, heavens no. That would be way too cliché. Haha. **_

_**Review and tell me your thoughts. The time skip will be coming soon, so heads up on that. Cheers guys, cya again in Lost Paradise. **_


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